The Ole Miss Men’s Basketball team traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., to play No. 25 Tennessee on Feb. 3 then headed west for a game against Texas on Feb. 7. They dropped both games, 84-66 and 79-68, respectively.
Tennessee
Though the first half was tight, the Volunteers pulled ahead in the second half and beat the Rebels.
Guards AJ Storr and Patton Pinkins led the Rebels with 15 points each. Rebel head coach Chris Beard was ejected following a double technical with around six minutes to play.
Beard utilized some unique lineups in the first half. During one stretch, the guards on the floor were Ilias Kamardine, Storr and Eduardo Klafke, and the forwards were James Scott and Augusto Cassiá. The coach tried to contain the Tennessee offense with his lineup, because, of these five, only Storr and Kamardine average more than 3.5 points per game.
Predictably, the offense was sluggish, but Pinkins hit a trio of 3-pointers — he led the Rebels in the first half with 11 points — and Kamardine added a pair of threes of his own. Storr got to the basket a few times.
Beard’s defense-focused gameplan seemed to work; the Volunteers led by only one at halftime, 26-25.
Against Vanderbilt, the Rebels scored 45 points in the second half, nearly doubling their offensive output from the first half. This game followed a similar trajectory — except the Rebel defense was unable to limit the Volunteer offense in the second half.
The Volunteers scored on their first five possessions of the second half. They took a double-digit lead with about ten minutes left to play, thanks to a three by guard Ja’Kobi Gillespe, who finished with 20 points and shot five-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Tennessee freshman forward Nate Ament, a projected top 10 2026 NBA Draft pick, scored only two points in the first half, but scored 26 in the second. Early in the half, he made a cut to the corner and hit an off-balance bank shot at the end of the shot clock. Once he was in rhythm, he hit multiple contested threes and buried shots on several physical drives.
Down 67-51 with about six minutes to play, Cassiá was stripped inside the paint; Beard ran onto the court, apparently displeased that no foul had been called, yelling at the refs and gesturing wildly. The refs assessed him a double technical foul and ejected him from the game. A security officer came to escort him out, but, before leaving, he ran back into his team’s huddle for a few last words of encouragement.
The Rebels were unable to take inspiration and lost 84-66. Once again, the Rebels’ sheer lack of offensive ability was on display. Though they played tight enough defense to keep the game close in the first half, they were unable to keep pace with Tennessee once Ament woke up.
Additionally, rebounding was a glaring issue. The Volunteers outrebounded the Rebels 40 to 23; 17 of Tennessee’s rebounds came on offense, many of which resulted in second-chance points.
Texas
Beard sent out Cassiá, Kezza Giffa, Kamardine Klafke and Pinkins to start against the Longhorns.
The first points of the game came from a Cassiá steal and a shot from beyond the arc. However, Texas quickly responded with six straight points from Matas Vokietaitis.
Following a pair of free throws by Vokietaitis, Storr scored on an and-one, making a tough layup despite contact and making a free throw for Ole Miss’ first points in over four minutes. Storr’s points shortened the deficit 11-7.
Ole Miss had a slow start. They struggled defensively, specifically on the perimeter. Texas capitalized on the poor defense and started a 7-0 run.
Beard called the first timeout of the game. Texas extended the lead after holding the Rebels scoreless and extending their run to 11-0.
After Texas had a season-best 16-0 run, forward Corey Chest snapped the streak and made a shot in the paint, shortening the lead to 29-13.
Ole Miss seemed to toss away the old game plan and started playing more aggressively in the paint, which eventually led to a quick 10-0 run.
Texas stopped the sudden surge of offense with a floater, and Storr responded with a deep mid-ranger of his own. Ole Miss ended the half down 12 points, 37-25.
Right out of the half, Pinkins made a deep three, and Klafke forced a turnover. After a strong push from the Rebels, they shortened the lead to 41-35. Texas called a timeout to regroup after the Rebels’ hot start to the second half.
Cassiá, Pinkins and Klafke helped Ole Miss take its first lead, 47-45, since the very beginning of the game.
The Rebels lost the lead, but a Dia block and Giffa basket put the Rebels back on top, 56-55. Ole Miss and Texas traded blows late into the second half. But after seven straight points by Texas, the Longhorns took the lead 72-68.
After that, Longhorn guard Simeon Wilcher hit his first and biggest 3-pointer of the day, giving the Longhorns a 75-68 lead. Texas held on to win, 79-68.
Ole Miss must start playing better defense more consistently. The Rebels allowed Texas to go on separate runs of 16 points and 14 points, the latter of which allowed the Longhorns to retake the lead and secure the win over the Rebels.
What’s next?
Ole Miss will return to Oxford to face Alabama on Wednesday, Feb. 11. SECN will broadcast the game.
