Jaylen Murray dribbles the ball during a game against Oral Roberts on Nov. 21, 2024. Photo by Daniel Laubhan

While most students were on winter break away from Oxford, the Ole Miss basketball teams moved into SEC play, with both scoring big wins and facing tough losses.

Men’s

In his second season with the Rebels, head coach Chris Beard has the Ole Miss Men’s Basketball team at 4-1 in SEC play and 15-3 overall.

Ole Miss traveled to rival No. 15 Mississippi State on Saturday, Jan. 18 in hopes of continuing an undefeated conference streak, but the Rebels fell short in overtime, losing 84-81.

To tip off conference play, Ole Miss hosted Georgia at home on Jan. 4. The Rebels trailed by two at the half but responded quickly, outscoring the Bulldogs by 14 in the second half and pulling out a 63-51 win. Guard Matthew Murrell led the way for the Rebels, scoring 15 points and shooting 62% from the floor.

Following the home win, the Rebels took on the Razorbacks Jan. 8 in Fayetteville, Ark., where they defeated Arkansas 73-66 to secure their second SEC victory. This win was the first time that Ole Miss has won in Fayetteville since 2015. Transfer forward Malik Dia shined, scoring 21 points, and teammate Sean Pedulla added 16 points and three assists.

Ole Miss faced LSU at home Jan. 11. The Tigers and the Rebels battled to a two-point game going into halftime. Similar to their game against Georgia, the Rebels pulled away in the second half. Ole Miss forced 17 turnovers in a 77-65 victory. Dia was a force in this game, scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

The Rebels travelled to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on then No. 4 Alabama. While the Crimson Tide opened as a 9.5 favorite, Beard and the Rebels held one of the highest scoring teams in the nation to only 64 points. Ole Miss forced 21 turnovers, and the Crimson Tide shot a mere 25% from three. Dia had another dominant performance, scoring 23 points and adding a staggering 19 rebounds. The Rebels delivered a 74-64 win and claimed their first ever Top-5 road victory.

The Rebels will host Texas A&M on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at The Pavilion. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN 2.

Mariyah Noel drives to the basket during a game against Christian Brothers in the Pavilion on Oct. 28, 2024. Photo by Antonella Rescigno.

Women’s

The Ole Miss Women’s Basketball team and head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin have reached a 4-2 record in SEC play so far.

Most recently, the Lady Rebels travelled to Starkville to face Mississippi State on Sunday, Jan. 19, defeating the Bulldogs 71-63. Guard Madison Scott led the way with 30 points.

The Rebels started SEC play on the road Jan. 2 at Auburn, where they beat the Tigers 85-58. Guard KK Deans was the leading scorer of the game with 20 points and two assists.

On the road at Texas A&M Jan. 5, the Lady Rebels started off hot in the first half, leading 41-25. However, the Rebels were outscored in both the third and fourth quarters, and the Aggies defeated Ole Miss 60-58.

McPhee-McCuin and the Rebels bounced back with a 87-59 home win against Vanderbilt on Jan. 9. Guard Kennedy Todd-Williams led the team with 25 points and shot 5-7 from three. She also added six rebounds and seven assists.

The Lady Rebels faced their first AP Top 25 conference opponent with a road match Jan. 12 at then No. 18 Alabama. Starr Jacobs and Deans had great performances for the Rebels, but Ole Miss came up short, losing 84-78. The Crimson Tide’s Zaay Green and Aalyah Nye combined for 59 points, which was enough to carry the Tide to victory.

After taking down Florida at home 94-69 on Jan. 16, the Rebels improved to 12-5 and 3-2 in the SEC. Sira Thienou led Ole Miss with 29 points and went 5-6 from deep. The home team used a great third quarter, winning against the Gators 31-17.

The Lady Rebels will continue conference play this week, when they host No. 7 Texas on Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Pavilion. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN.