OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss coach Chris Beard called it a needed test.
In front of roughly 3,000 fans at The Pavilion, the Rebels dropped a 68-53 exhibition decision to Saint Mary’s, a program known for its tournament pedigree and physical play.
Although no official statistics were kept, Ole Miss showed flashes of promise before fading in the final stretch.
Beard’s squad—built around a mix of returning talent and transfers—faced a Gaels team that has reached the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive seasons.
“This is not a surprise,” Beard said after the game. “Saint Mary’s is a really good basketball team. They have been to the NCAA Tournament four years in a row and have won their first round game each year. They have a Hall of Fame coach. We scheduled this game on purpose. We knew what we were getting into.”
Early scoring woes and defensive adjustments
Saint Mary’s came out red-hot from beyond the arc, draining its first four three-pointers to seize control early.
Inside, the Gaels’ 7-foot-2 center Andrew McKeever and 6-8 forward Paulius Marauskas gave Ole Miss problems around the rim.
The Rebels trailed 24-12 midway through the first half before showing a brief surge.
Senior guard Ilias Kamardine led the first-half scoring with eight points, while senior forward Malik Dia added seven. By halftime, the Rebels trimmed the deficit to 35-26.
Around the six-minute mark of the opening period, Beard’s decision to extend the team’s man-to-man defense beyond the three-point line began to pay off, cooling Saint Mary’s perimeter rhythm.
That adjustment hinted at the aggressive defensive style Ole Miss is expected to rely on this season.
Second-half rally falls short
The Rebels began the second half with renewed energy, using defensive pressure to generate quick points.
A full-court zone press created three consecutive steals and buckets, cutting the margin to 40-35.
Senior guard AJ Storr sparked the comeback with two steals, two layups, and a converted “and-one.”
But Saint Mary’s countered with a size advantage, re-inserting two 7-footers who helped the Gaels push their lead to 49-41 with just under 11 minutes remaining.
Ole Miss responded with a Dia dunk and a Storr three-pointer to narrow the gap to 51-49 with 7:54 left, but the Rebels’ offensive patience broke down.
“After we cut it to two, we lost our patience on offense and forced some shots,” Beard said. “Then we had a couple of turnovers that were costly in a low turnover game.”
The Gaels capitalized on those miscues with an 8-0 run to rebuild a double-digit advantage, eventually closing out the game with solid free-throw shooting and ball control.
Lessons from a preseason test
Unofficially, Storr and Kamardine each finished with 14 points, while Dia contributed nine.
Beyond the box score, Beard’s primary concerns centered on rebounding and conditioning.
“We got handled on the glass, outrebounded by 20,” Beard said. “That’s hard to overcome. The defensive game plan on their best two players did nothing to take away their strengths.
“I was not happy with the results, but we needed this. We needed some things to be exposed so we can work on them.”
Beard noted that fatigue became a factor late in the second half. Despite cutting the deficit to two points, Ole Miss failed to sustain its energy, missing open looks and settling for rushed jumpers.
“In the second half, our defense helped our offense with some good things in the full court zone press,” Beard added. “But we didn’t finish after we cut the deficit to 51-49.”
Deep bench gets early exposure
The Rebels used an 11-man rotation in the first half and continued to mix lineups throughout the game.
In addition to the starters — Dia, Storr, James Scott, Kamardine, and sophomore guard Travis Perry — several others logged minutes.
Sophomore forward Corey Chest, junior guard Koren Johnson, sophomore guard Edward Klafke, senior guard Kezza Giffa, freshman guard Patton Pickens, freshman guard Zach Day, and junior forward Augusto Cassia all saw time on the floor.
That approach was intentional, Beard said, emphasizing early evaluation of roles and conditioning before the season opener.
“I thought conditioning was a factor,” Beard said. “We let the game slip away after fighting to get back in it. But there are a lot of things we can take from this game.”
The exhibition, while unofficial, provided a glimpse into Beard’s focus areas—rebounding discipline, defensive intensity, and offensive maturity.
The Rebels will look to address those issues as they continue preseason preparations.
Key takeaways
- Saint Mary’s experience showed early – The Gaels’ size and execution exposed Ole Miss’ rebounding and defensive rotations.
- Rebels’ defense fueled comeback – The full-court press and steals by AJ Storr briefly shifted momentum.
- Beard focused on lessons learned – Conditioning, patience, and shot selection will headline Ole Miss’ adjustments heading into the regular season.
