Ole Miss took on the Missouri Tigers and first-year head coach Dennis Gates, and Missouri took this game as an opportunity to put on a shooting clinic.
From the jump, it was clear that the Tigers were locked in from beyond the arc. The Rebels jumped to an early lead, but the Tigers responded quickly as four of the first five baskets made were three-pointers.
This game was very similar to the Rebels’ game against Arkansas, where they lost the lead and never regained it.
Once the lead grew to double digits, Ole Miss only managed to get back within six points one time. Like clockwork, any comeback effort from the Rebels was thwarted by a dagger from three. Missouri finished the game shooting over 50% on three-pointers.
It is tough to beat a team that makes over half of its threes, but the Rebels kept digging a hole for themselves with all their mistakes.
Although Ole Miss out-rebounded Missouri, it felt like the Rebels could not secure the boards when it mattered most. Specifically, there was a possession in the second half where Ole Miss allowed three offensive rebounds on three three-pointers, and that possession finally ended in a made three by Missouri.
Every loose ball went in favor of Missouri, Ole Miss could hardly get the ball inbounded in both half and full-court settings, and the Rebels committed 16 turnovers. These small mistakes, which seem so trivial when they occur, add up to be the reason Ole Miss has a losing record.
The Top 25 teams in the nation, however different they may be in offensive skill or defensive proficiency, have at least one thing in common: They limit their mistakes. The best of the best make a conscious effort to get the little things right, and as it stands, Ole Miss is not one of those teams.
In each conference game that Ole Miss has lost, the team that ended up winning made fewer mistakes when it mattered the most.
Granted, Ole Miss was down one of its best players in Matthew Murrell, which would have definitely made a difference in this game; however, it is hard to say that even he would have been the difference in winning and losing.
It is always heartbreaking to lose at home, especially when favored to win, and this loss was no exception. Missouri had lost three out of its last four games by a total of 48 points and only made a total of 13 threes in those losses.
This game was projected to be a single-digit nail-biter; Instead, Ole Miss now sits at 9-11 on the season and 1-7 in the SEC, which has them tied for last in the conference.
The Rebels retake the court against Oklahoma State in the Big 12-SEC Challenge on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 7:00 p.m. CST in Oklahoma State’s Gallagher-Iba Arena.
This game gives Ole Miss a break from SEC play, but the Big 12 is no joke, so it will be interesting to see how the Rebels handle their last non-conference game of the season.
