OXFORD, Miss. — There are nights when Ole Miss shows just enough fight to remind you why hope keeps sneaking back into the building.
Wednesday night was one of those evenings, even if the final score didn’t reward it.
The Rebels rallied late, trimmed the margin to four, and still walked off the floor with a 94-87 loss to Arkansas.
For Ole Miss, the effort was there. The finish was not.
The Rebs spent most of the night chasing a Razorbacks team that came in with balance, patience, and just enough free throws to make sure the chase stayed exhausting. Ole Miss never stopped running, but it never quite caught up either.
That was the story.
Arkansas built its advantage early, leaned on steady scoring across the lineup, and survived every Rebel push. Ole Miss, meanwhile, kept answering — just never with the one stretch that could flip the game.
Early holes are hard to climb out of
Ole Miss didn’t play poorly in the opening half, but it didn’t play clean enough either.
Arkansas closed the first 20 minutes on a 10-2 run, turning a manageable game into a 42-32 deficit at the break.
That’s not a knockout punch. But in SEC play, it’s the kind of margin that demands discipline, execution, and a little luck.
The Rebels got some of each — just not all at once.
Arkansas found comfort in balance, while Ole Miss kept searching for rhythm. The Rebs were close enough to believe, but far enough to feel the pressure creeping in.
If there was a positive takeaway, it came after halftime.
Ole Miss responded with energy, depth, and a steady rotation of scorers. Five Rebels reached double figures, a sign that the offense never stalled even when the scoreboard felt stubborn.
Ilias Kamardine and Malik Dia led the way with 16 points apiece. AJ Storr added 12. Eduardo Klafke found his groove after halftime and finished with 11. Patton Pinkins chipped in 10.
That’s balance. That’s effort. That’s the kind of box score that usually gives you a chance.
And it did — eventually.
Late push gave the Pavilion a pulse
Down the stretch, the Rebs finally made Arkansas uncomfortable.
Ole Miss cut the margin to 91-87 with under a minute remaining, bringing the crowd to its feet and forcing Arkansas to earn every breath. For a moment, it felt like one more stop could turn the whole night.
That stop never came.
Arkansas answered with a key jumper and followed it with a free throw, closing the door just enough to keep the Rebels on the outside.
It wasn’t dramatic. It was deliberate. And for Ole Miss, that made it sting more.
Free throws tell an unpleasant truth
The quiet separator in this game lived at the free-throw line.
Arkansas went 22-of-30, while Ole Miss never got the same volume or cushion.
Darius Acuff Jr. alone went 11-of-12, a reminder that close games often hinge on calm moments when the clock slows and the gym gets loud.
Ole Miss wasn’t reckless. It just wasn’t rewarded.
And when you’re chasing from behind, those empty trips — or missed chances to get to the line — stack up quickly.
Roster reality still showing
There’s no escaping context here.
The Rebels are still adjusting after losing four starters and several key rotation pieces from last season’s Sweet 16 team.
Nights like Wednesday show flashes of what’s coming, but also the gaps that remain.
Ole Miss has scoring. It has options. What it’s still building is the stretch-to-stretch consistency that turns late rallies into wins.
The effort wasn’t missing. The margin for error just stayed razor thin.
Where Ole Miss goes from here
The Rebs don’t leave Oxford licking wounds — they leave knowing they competed.
That’s not consolation. It’s information.
Ole Miss will stay home to host Missouri next, carrying both the frustration of what slipped away and the confidence that it wasn’t over until the final minute. In January, sometimes that’s the difference between folding and figuring it out.
This one didn’t break the Rebels.
It just reminded them how precise they still need to be.
Key takeaways
- Five Ole Miss players reached double figures, keeping the offense competitive throughout.
- The Rebs cut the deficit to four late but couldn’t get the final stop.
- Arkansas’ free-throw efficiency made the difference in a close finish.
