The Rebels suffered a 78-66 loss at home in The Sandy and John Black Pavilion on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The Rebels shot 10-of-28 from three (36%) but were outmatched on the inside.
The Rebels started off poorly down low and did not record a rebound for the first four minutes of the game despite multiple Auburn misses.
Guard Ilias Kamardine had eight points in the first half to lead Ole Miss, followed by six points from guard Travis Perry and five points from guard AJ Storr.
The rotations from coach Chris Beard were unusual; star forward Malik Dia only played around seven minutes in the first half, while reserve forward Augusto Cassiá played about nine minutes. There was a noticeable spike in minutes for forward Corey Chest, who logged around 10 minutes.
Dia’s scoring and rebounding averages have improved since last season, but the forward has regressed since SEC play began. He finished this game with only two points and one rebound in 14 total minutes.
Despite only shooting 2-of-17 from the three, one of which came early in the game, Auburn dominated and led Ole Miss for 34 minutes.
Auburn had 38 points in the paint compared to Ole Miss’ 14. The rebounding margin also favored the Tigers; Auburn had 42 rebounds compared to Ole Miss’ 26. The Rebels have struggled to rebound all season, a problem consistent with last year.
Additionally, the Tigers attempted 39 free throws, indicating their more aggressive, physical style of play.
Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford led Auburn down the stretch with several tough shots, including a dunk that sealed the win for the Tigers towards the end of the game.
Storr led Ole Miss in scoring with 18 points, shooting 6-of-19 from the field. This is his fourth consecutive game with 17 points or more. Perry added 15 points on an efficient night of shooting, going 5-of-9 with all five makes from beyond the arc. Overall, the Rebels shot much better from three (36%) than last game, when they shot a measly 2-of-20.
Freshman Patton Pinkins continues to impress. After scoring the game winner against then-No. 21 Georgia and the go-ahead basket against Mississippi State, he finished with 15 points and five rebounds in 30 minutes.
The Rebels have struggled with rebounding all year, and they struggled under head coach Chris Beard last season, as well. The Rebels are a very good team from a talent standpoint. New additions like Patton Pinkins and Corey Chest have been a huge plus for Ole Miss this season.
In his postgame press conference, Beard said that he regretted not playing guard Zach Day earlier in the game. Day recorded only six minutes and scored one point. Beard guaranteed that the guard would see more playing time next game.
What’s next?
The Rebels will look to get back on track against Kentucky on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 11 a.m. in Lexington, Ky. ESPN will broadcast the game.
