Ole Miss Men’s Basketball hosted UAB in an exhibition matchup on Tuesday, Oct. 27, overcoming a slow start to win 92-78.
Head coach Chris Beard spoke about the importance of the game in a postgame press conference.
“(It was) the perfect situation for us to play in a game like this before the regular season. We have played against much 1-3-1 and so that was a challenge for us,” Beard said. “We let the guys figure it out and get through some adversity. For the most part, we passed the test.”
Despite the homecoming, the Blazers headed back southeast with a 14-point loss, largely thanks to a dominant second half from Ole Miss. The Rebels entered the half down 45-44, before scoring 48 points in the second half.
Ole Miss shot 55.2% from the field, 42.9% from 3-point range and 86.4% from the free-throw line. Beard spoke about the Rebels’ 3-point shooting.
“The 3-point shot showed up for us tonight. I still think it’ll be a weapon for our team,” Beard said.
The Rebels had six players in double figures, with Seton Hall transfer Adam Clark leading the way with 18 points, followed by returner Patton Pinkins with 15, Australian professional Ben Henshall with 14, FIU transfer Corey Stephenson with 12, ASU transfer Santiago Trouet with 12 and Pittsburgh transfer Roman Siulepa with 11.
Ole Miss struggled early, falling behind by as many as five points in the first half, largely thanks to a hot shooting night from UAB. Clark, Henshall and Siulepa combined for 28 points in the first half.
The Blazers shot 48.4% from the field and 53.3% from 3-point range in the first half, but the Rebels continued to score inside, racking up 38 points in the paint, which proved to be the more consistent shot as the game continued.
Ole Miss also exploded for a 10-point run down the stretch of the second half to solidify the win. The Rebel defense allowed 33 points in the second half, paving the way to the win.
“Defensively, (it was) a tale of two halves. Give (UAB) a lot of credit. They were aggressive,” Beard said. “We were having a hard time in some one-on-ones in the (first) half then we really responded in the second half.”
While the Rebels gained some valuable playing time before the season opener on Nov. 2, Tuesday’s contest also served a very different purpose.
The program welcomed back former head coach Andy Kennedy, who coached the Rebels from 2006 through 2018, becoming the winningest coach in school history, going 245-156 in his 13 seasons in Oxford. Kennedy was honored with a tribute video before tip-off, and received a standing ovation.
The Rebels open up the regular season on Nov. 2 against Alcorn State in The Sandy and John Black Pavilion. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
