Ole Miss came into Saturday looking for something to break a skid that’s stretched nearly a month, but Florida didn’t offer much breathing room.
The Gators controlled most of the first half in Oxford, leaning on their size, shooting, and two of the SEC’s most productive frontcourt players to build an early cushion the Rebels spent the rest of the game chasing, ultimately falling 94-75.
First Half Reaction
Ole Miss and Florida ended the first half with the same number of made field goals, but the scoreboard told a very different story. The Gators took a 43-32 lead into the break for two simple reasons: they hit more threes (5 to 1) and they controlled the glass, outrebounding the Rebels 21-12.
Ole Miss shot just 13-of-34 from the field and went 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. Florida, meanwhile, shot 54% and went 12-of-14 at the free‑throw line. Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon did most of the damage, combining for 29 points, which nearly matched the Rebels’ entire first‑half output.
DIA DRIVE🚦#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/35fcG1yHx2
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) February 21, 2026
If you’re looking for a bright spot, it’s the turnovers. Ole Miss forced nine of them, including multiple shot‑clock violations, and turned those mistakes into 10 points. The Rebels also found success in the paint, outscoring Florida 22–14 inside.
Malik Dia leads Ole Miss with 11 points, though he’s 0-for-2 from deep, an area that’s been hit‑or‑miss for him this season (.245). Ilias Kamardine and Patton Pinkins each added six, with Pinkins a perfect 3-for-3 from the field.
For Ole Miss to make this interesting in the second half, the shots simply have to fall. Leaning harder into the paint advantage wouldn’t hurt either.
Second Half Reaction
The Rebels made a higher percentage of their shots in the second half, but made fewer field goals and Florida did the exact opposite.
The Gators continued their hot shooting, going 19-of-32 from the field including 6-of-10 from three-point range. They outscored Ole Miss 51-43 in the second half and ended the game with nearly twice as many rebounds (39) as Ole Miss (24) had.
DAY ➡️ DIA#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/jjwzJ2QCXa
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) February 21, 2026
Dia kept his offensive success going early in the second half, scoring 11 points in the first 10 minutes, but he didn’t get much help. Kamardine ended the game with 14 points and Pinkins had 10.
Ole Miss’ leading scorer, AJ Storr, had only eight points on 3-of-10 shooting in the game.
Ole Miss Top Performers
- Points: Malik Dia, 24
- Rebounds: Malik Dia, 6
- Assists: Travis Perry, 4
- Steals: Zach Day, 3
- Blocks: Corey Chest, 2
Next Up
Ole Miss has now lost its last nine games, falling to 11-16 overall and 3-11 in SEC play. With four games left in the regular season, the Rebels don’t have many opportunities left to end that streak.
The Rebels will have a chance, though, this week against LSU. The Tigers are coming to Oxford with a 14-12 overall record, but only a 2-11 record in SEC play.
Tipoff Wednesday at SJB Pavilion is set for 8 p.m.
