Tad Smith Coliseum hosted its final basketball game, and Ole Miss delivered a double-digit win over Bakersfield. A balanced scoring attack by Chris Beard’s Rebels found the red and blue walking away victorious
Ole Miss forced 13 turnovers and had 17 points off of giveaways by the Roadrunners, as the Rebel bench outscored its foe by 14 points. AJ Storr led the home team on the scoreboard with 14 points.
Rebel big man James Scott scored the home team’s first 6 points as both teams volleyed early in the matchup. A three-pointer by freshman Patton Pinkins put Ole Miss up 21-15 with 8:25 on the first half clock. A few minutes later, France native Kezza Giffa knocked down a triple, then connected on a fastbreak layup to build on the Rebels’ buffer. At halftime, Ole Miss led 38-28.
Malik Dia opened the second half with a layup, and Storr flushed a dunk in the opening two minutes of the final frame. Standout Bakersfield guard CJ Bailey curtailed the Rebels’ attempt at a run by drawing a foul on a deep shot and connecting on all three free throws. Nonetheless, as stagnant as the Rebels appeared to be on offense, the Rebels continued to press the issue over their nonconference opponent.
Ilias Kamardine, who had a slow first half, kickstarted an Ole Miss scoring surge with a layup at the 15:38 mark, followed by a dunk and a successful jumper. A pair of Travis Perry triples and a series of free throws by a couple of Rebels later, Ole Miss led 66-44 with 8:09 remaining in regulation. The Rebels took a 25-point lead, their largest of the night, when LSU transfer Corey Chest scored in the paint with 2:34 left on the clock.
Joining Storr with double figures for Ole Miss were Dia and Kamardine, who had 10 points apiece. Malik Dia led the Rebels in rebounds with 5. Ole Miss won the rebounding battle 43-34. Hardy was both Bakersfield’s and the game’s leading scorer, with 21 points. Friday night’s game was a tribute to former Ole Miss frontman Rod Barnes, who coached the Roadrunners from 2011 until September of this year.
As for the future of Tad Smith Coliseum, Ole Miss announced that it has issued a request for design services for the site’s demolition, tentatively scheduled for summer 2026. Plans for the site include new surface parking areas while campus officials determine future building needs. The news comes as Ole Miss has experienced significant student growth, shattering enrollment records in the process. This fall alone, Ole Miss welcomed 28,405 students across its seven campuses.
Ole Miss will return to the SJB Pavilion in a Tuesday night matchup against Austin Peay. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the game will air on SEC Network+, along with participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
