In a game that swung like a pendulum deep into the California night, Ole Miss’ final surge wasn’t enough to complete a furious comeback, falling 75-74 to Utah in a heart-stopping finish at the Acrisure Series Tournament in Palm Springs on Wednesday.
Ole Miss (5-2) set the tone from the opening whistle. On their very first offensive touch, Kezza Giffa lofted a perfect alley-oop that Malik Dia detonated at the rim, a jolt of electricity that seemed to promise an explosive night for the Rebels.
For a while, it did. Dia’s early statement dunk sparked an Ole Miss offense that held control until the 8:34 mark, when Utah’s (6-2) Don McHenry streaked ahead for a transition layup, flipping the scoreboard to 19-17 and shifting the momentum sharply toward the Utes.
Utah held that edge until Patton Pinkins buried a three with 5:46 left in the half to tie it at 25, briefly steadying the Rebels.
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But the Utes counterpunched quickly. Terrence Brown drew a shooting foul on Pinkins and calmly knocked down both free throws, restoring a lead Utah carried into the break at 42-34.
The second half turned into a slow-burn climb for Ole Miss—never quite out of reach, never quite able to reel Utah in. The Rebels cut the deficit to six at 62-56 with under nine minutes left, and Dia muscled in a second-chance layup at the 6:19 mark to make it a one-possession game.
Then came the spark they needed. Ilias Kamardine drilled a three with 3:54 remaining to level the score at 67. Moments later, he sliced into the paint for a go-ahead layup, giving Ole Miss its first lead since the early minutes and igniting the Rebels’ bench.
But Utah had one final twist waiting. With under 90 seconds to play, McHenry rose up and buried a dagger from deep, reclaiming a 73-72 lead. Kamardine, unshaken, answered again—floating in a jumper with 57 seconds remaining to push Ole Miss ahead 74-73 and setting up a dramatic finish.
The game hinged on Utah’s last desperate push. With nine seconds left, Brown took the inbound, raced the length of the floor, and absorbed contact on a layup attempt with four seconds remaining. He stepped to the line and sank both free throws, nudging Utah ahead by the slimmest of margins.
Ole Miss managed one final possession, but the buzzer sounded before the Rebels could launch a potential game-winner, leaving their comeback one point short.
The Rebels return home for a marquee showdown on Tuesday at 8 p.m., hosting ACC foe Miami in the ACC/SEC Challenge at the SJB Pavilion on the SEC Network.
Yesterday’s Results
- Men’s Basketball: Utah 75, Ole Miss 74
Today’s Schedule
- No games scheduled.
Did You Notice?
Battle for The Golden Egg 🧵#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/PnTwNJHuEp
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 27, 2025
Daily Dose Of Archie Manning
Kids are doing more in their offseason. That’s what the college quarterbacks, the pro quarterbacks do. That’s how you get better.
Archie Manning
