Ole Miss Men’s Basketball played two road SEC games this week and came up short in both of them. They fell to 3-5 in SEC play with the losses.
Kentucky
The Rebels hit the road to take on Kentucky this past Saturday, Jan. 24. In a hard-fought contest that saw six lead changes and six ties.
Ole Miss drew within two points multiple times inside of 10 minutes but ultimately were never able to capitalize and take the lead. Kentucky made clutch baskets down the stretch, with Kentucky’s Collin Chandler hitting a deep 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining to push the Wildcats’ lead to five points. That shot was the dagger that secured the win.
Neither team had a strong offensive outing, with Ole Miss shooting 33.3% from the floor, 35% from three-point range and 66.7% from the free-throw line. Kentucky shot 36% from the floor, 29.6% from three and 73.7% from the free-throw line.
Both teams’ offensive production came largely from two players, with both sides having just two players in double figures. Ole Miss’ AJ Storr led the Rebels in scoring with 20 points. Malik Dia trailed with 14.
Kentucky’s Otega Oweh scored 23 points, and Jasper Johnson had 12. This game was a defensive affair from start to finish.
Fouls proved to be a major hindrance to Ole Miss, with the team committing 25, sending Kentucky to the line 38 times. The Wildcats cashed in 28 points from the stripe.
Vanderbilt
The Ole Miss Men’s Basketball team traveled to Nashville, Tenn., to take on No. 18 Vanderbilt on Jan. 31. Vanderbilt won 71-68; the Rebels hung with the Commodores all game but fell short at the end. Guard AJ Storr and forward Malik Dia led the Rebels with 16 points apiece.
The game, originally slated to be played in Oxford, was relocated following the snow and ice storm this past week. Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles, who averages 16.6 points per game (second on the team), did not play due to injury.
It was a tale of two halves for Ole Miss. In the first half, they had nine turnovers and scored only 23 points; in the second, they tallied only two turnovers and scored 45.
Though Ole Miss’ playoff outlook continues to look bleak, this loss demonstrated that Ole Miss, at its best, can compete with the best teams in the conference. Both Storr and Dia narrowly missed threes on the final possession that would have sent the game into overtime.
The Rebels’ starting five was unusual: it consisted of guards Ilias Kamardine, Travis Perry and Eduardo Klafke and forwards James Scott and Augusto Cassiá.
The Rebels had a shaky start. Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner started out the scoring after picking off an ill-advised pass by Klafke. The Rebels had six turnovers in the first eight minutes and thirty seconds.
Towards the middle of the half, the Rebels were down 25-12, but they clawed back with a 9-0 run.
Nothing came easily for the Ole Miss offense at any point, as has been a theme all season. The Rebels did not record a single assist in the first half and often resorted to contested jump shots late in the shot clock.
Yet the Rebels battled. On one play specifically, guard Kezza Giffa missed his second free throw; Storr tied up the Commodore rebounder, forcing a jump ball. On the ensuing possession, forward Malik Dia had a physical finish at the rim.
The Rebels went into the half down 31-23. Thirteen Rebels logged minutes. Dia led the Rebels with six points.
In the second half, the Rebels opened with a trio of three-point plays: Perry hit a three, and Kamardine and Dia both had and-ones. On the other end, though, Tanner diced apart the Rebel defense, adding an and-one of his own and a three pointer in the first few minutes. Tanner led all scorers with 24 points.
Overall, the offense looked smoother in the second half: Dia burst to the rim a few times, and Storr hit multiple heavily contested jumpers.
With just under six minutes to play, Kamardine drove along the baseline for an and-one, cutting the Vanderbilt lead to just four, 61-57. With about three minutes left, free throws by Storr cut the lead to two, 65-63.
Vanderbilt scored again; Pinkins missed a three, and Commodore Mike James hit a three to put Vanderbilt up 70-63.
Yet, once again, the Rebels fought back. Dia made two free throws; Storr hit a three with a hand in his face to put the Rebels within two, 70-68.
Tanner missed on the other end, but Storr knocked the ball out of bounds. The Rebels were forced to foul; Vanderbilt forward AK Okereke made one of two free throws. In the closing seconds, Storr and Dia both launched contested threes that clanked out.
What’s next?
The Rebels (11-10, 3-5 SEC) will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to play Tennessee (14-6, 4-3 SEC) on Tuesday, Feb. 3. ESPN2 will broadcast the game.
