Ole Miss Men’s Basketball beat non-conference rival Memphis 83-77 on Tuesday, Nov. 11 in The Sandy and John Black Pavilion. The Rebels shot 61.5% from three.
“We want to play Memphis. Home-and-home makes a lot of sense, maybe a neutral site. I’m not aware where we are on the contract, but we want to play Memphis,” Ole Miss Men’s Basketball head coach Chris Beard said in his press conference after their game against the University of Louisiana at Monroe on Friday, Nov. 7.
The Rebels and Tigers went back and forth for most of the first half. Former French professional Ilias Kamardine was hot from the field, making 7-of-11 shots for 16 points in the first half. Kamardine also led the team in assists this half with two, and forward Corey Chest led the Rebels in rebounds with four.
Guards Travis Perry and Kezza Giffa ended the half with back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the Rebel lead to 42-33.
For most of the second half, the Rebels kept a healthy double-digit lead. With about six minutes left, the Tigers implemented a full-court press. This pressure caused a few close calls for the Ole Miss offense, but the Rebels held on to win.
Kamardine continued his scoring rampage in the second half, ending the game 11-of-14 from the field (3-of-4 from 3-point land) to lead all scorers at 26 points. He was the go-to offensive option this game when Ole Miss needed a spark. He hit several contested pull-up jumpers at the top of the key, yet also demonstrated solid finishes at the rim.
Toward the end of the game, however, Kamardine failed to take care of the ball, a cardinal sin for a point guard. His two turnovers came in the last six minutes, one of which was a behind-the-back pass that flew off target and was picked off by a Memphis defender.
He also launched a hazardous inbounds pass across the court to forward James Scott when a timeout could have given the team a reset. Luckily for the Rebels, Giffa collected the pass after a scrum for the ball.
Giffa earned his keep as a starter with a solid game. He shot 4-of-7 from the field with 15 points, five assists and a plus-five rating. He showed finesse around the rim, even when his shots were contested. Following an and-one by Tiger forward Ashton Hardaway, which cut the Rebel lead to only eight, Giffa took the ball coast-to-coast for a layup on the other end.
Perry played only nine minutes and did not start the game. His shot finally began to fall: He finished with six points, shooting 2-of-3 from deep. While the bench did not light up the scoreboard, every player was at least plus-four on the court.
Ole Miss outscored Memphis 42-33 in the first half but was outscored 44-41 in the second. The Rebels were fairly consistent, shooting 53.6% in the first half and 50% in the second.
What’s next?
The Rebels take on California State University, Bakersfield on Friday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. for the final throwback game in the Tad Smith Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
