The Ole Miss men’s basketball team has now lost three straight games — the most in the first half of the regular season in the Chris Beard era in Oxford. On Tuesday, the Rebels were bested by Miami by a score of 75-66 in the SEC/ACC Challenge, marking the first non-conference loss in the SJB Pavilion in three seasons.
Miami (7-2) had four players with more than 10 points, while Ole Miss (5-3) only had two players eclipse the double-digit scoring mark in the matchup. The Hurricanes, as a team, converted on 49.1% of their shots and knocked down 44% of attempts from behind the arc. Miami also dominated in the paint, scoring 10 more points down low and securing 16 more rebounds than the home Rebels.
Both teams sparred during the first eight minutes of the game, with a Travis Perry jumper giving Ole Miss an 11-10 edge with 11:57 on the clock. A Tre Donaldson-led run over the next four minutes found the Hurricanes up 21-14. A five-point swing by AJ Storr and Malik Dia cut the Rebels’ deficit to three with 5:59 remaining in the opening frame. But it was Miami that would close out the half strong, connecting on four deep shots in the final five minutes to lead 42-26 at the intermission.
The second half opened on a low note for Ole Miss, as Shelton Henderson capped a three-point play with a successful free throw after scoring on a fastbreak off a Rebel turnover. Frustrated with the lack of production from his starters, Beard went deep into his bench, giving reserves Zach Day, Hobart Grayson IV, and Koren Johnson meaningful minutes, and it worked.
Within four minutes, Ole Miss had cut an 18-point deficit in half, trailing 49-40 with 15:57 remaining in regulation. Miami punched back, maintaining its double-digit advantage, for the most part, over the next seven minutes. Ole Miss found a much-needed offensive spark a little over midway through the half, with back-to-back-to-back shots from behind the arc. Augusto Cassia, Day, and Perry were responsible for the triples.
At the 5:29 mark, Ole Miss had momentum, yet it was upended by a five-point swing by Miami guard Tru Johnson to give the Hurricanes a 14-point buffer. The Rebels did not surrender, but Miami scored too consistently down the stretch to allow a comeback. Jai Lucas, in his first year as the Hurricanes’ head coach, earned a solid road win against an SEC foe as conference play looms.
Henderson had a game-high 18 points for Miami, while also securing nine rebounds. Washington scored 17 points, Malik Renou had 15, and Donaldson amassed 11 in the matchup. Ole Miss was led by Perry and freshman Patton Pinkins, who logged 11 points apiece. It was a rough night for Rebel starters, particularly Ilias Kamardine, Dia, and Storr. The trio was a combined 5-for-30 from the field with a combined 19 points, six of which came from the free throw line.
But all was not bad for the red and blue on Tuesday night, as fans had an opportunity to cheer on another Ole Miss team — a football crew currently ranked No. 6 in the most recent College Football Playoff poll. New head coach Pete Golding was introduced alongside Ole Miss football players during the basketball game to a standing ovation from the home crowd.
Next up for the Rebel basketball team is a tough non-conference battle against No. 23 St. John’s in the historic Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, with the matchup airing on Peacock and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
