This Saturday afternoon game was a must-win game for the Rebels, but the team struggled the entire game in a 72-59 loss. Ole Miss is gasping for air now, as Joe Lunardi’s bracketology placed the team outside of the 68-team field. South Carolina completed the season sweep in Oxford, placing the Rebels even further outside of the big dance
First Half:
The Rebels started out very sluggish and went down early. The team’s defense looked pretty solid, something that has been a rare occurrence the past few games. It was a historic half in the sense that Jaemyn Brakefield reached the one thousand point club; despite Brakefield’s milestone, though, Ole Miss’ offense was very stagnant.
Defensively, the Rebels eventually sank into their signature full court press defense to try and get an advantage. This never really had the effect that they thought it would, as South Carolina easily broke the pressure.
The story of the first half was that guard Matthew Murrell got into foul trouble early into the game and had little to no impact in the half. This forced the Rebels to lean on other players, such as Allen Flannigan and Moussa Cisse, who were the lone bright spots in an ugly half. As the second quarter winded down, the Ole Miss defense struggled more and more with each possession.
The Rebels went 0-4 from three for the half, something that would need to be fixed urgently if they were going to have a chance in this game. The Rebels went into the locker room down 36-22 with absolutely no momentum.
Second Half:
The second half began with early foul trouble for the Rebels, with four committed by the team in the first 10 minutes. The Rebels struggled to build any offensive momentum, and the Gamecock lead began to increase once again.
Murrell stayed in foul trouble, which was a huge blow to the Rebels – who desperately needed an offensive spark to get back into the game.The gap stayed at 15 points going into the final four minutes, signaling the end of a forgettable night for the Rebels.
The problem that Ole Miss faced was inconsistency, never being able to truly get something going. Whenever the Rebels managed to take a step forward on offense or defense, they would soon take two more backwards.
Also, Brakefield took a tough tumble and was injured toward the end of the game. It is currently unclear whether or not the injury is serious, but it is nonetheless another blow the Rebels endured during Saturday’s game.
What is next?
Despite this devastating loss, Ole Miss must quickly turn their attention to their next matchup against the No. 13 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m.. This game will be crucial in determining the Rebels postseason fate, and the home crowd will need to show up and show out in order to give our team the biggest advantage possible.
A win keeps Ole Miss alive in the race for March Madness; a loss effectively shuts the door on a postseason berth barring any unforeseen circumstances.
