Ole Miss Beats Georgia 76-72, Continues Surprising SEC Tournament Run

BY Taylor Hodges

Very few people expected Ole Miss to advance past the first round of the SEC Tournament, much less reach the quarterfinals or make a run at the whole thing. Yet here we are.

Another stunning win in Nashville has set the Rebels up for a quarterfinal matchup with No. 2 Alabama on Friday. They will have a hard time topping the excitement and chaos of what became a 76-72 win over Georgia.

There is a lot to unpack from this one. For now, here is how one writer reacted to each half of the second round game.

First Half Reaction

Well, this certainly was not the script anyone expected.

Ole Miss held Georgia, one of the SEC’s most explosive offenses, to its lowest first‑half point total of the season. The Bulldogs managed only four fastbreak points, 10 points in the paint and 10 turnovers. Another unexpected stat is that the Rebels still have not trailed in this tournament.

They are doing it with defense and tempo control, slowing the game down and probably making a lot of fans wonder where this version of Ole Miss has been all year. The Rebels are not shooting particularly well at 38.9 percent from the field and 4-of-13 from three. AJ Storr is the exception with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting off the bench.

Travis Perry also started to find his stroke from beyond the arch with a pair of threes made in the final five minutes of the game.

What is keeping them steady is the rebounding, which is essentially even at 23-22, and the way they have turned Georgia’s mistakes into 11 points. Many of those turnovers came late in the half through a mix of sharp Ole Miss defense and some questionable decisions by the Bulldogs.

It is an impressive showing, and if it holds, the Rebels might be extending their stay in Nashville by an extra night.

Second Half Reaction

If the SEC has a script writer, they deserve a pay raise.

Ole Miss started the half playing the same way it ended the first. Malik Dia was draining threes with Perry, Ilias Kamardine was forcing turnovers, James Scott was a rebounding machine with some help from Patton Pinkins on the glass and AJ Storr tipping passes on defense and scoring points on offense. The Rebels even built a 23-point lead, and Georgia looked finished.

Except the Bulldogs were not finished. They got their run, and what a run it was. Trailing 55-32, Georgia went on a 20-2 burst in less than five minutes and cut the margin to five.

Georgia hit a string of threes and forced eight turnovers. It looked all too familiar for Ole Miss fans: play well, build a lead, lose the lead, keep it close and eventually lose on a last-second shot or in overtime.

It has happened before and it looked like it might happen again. But one part of that script never showed up. Ole Miss never lost the lead.

Things still got tight in the final seconds. Georgia’s Marcus Millender was intentionally fouled with his team down three and three seconds left. He made the first and intentionally missed the second. Ole Miss guard Travis Perry tapped the rebound away from the Bulldogs and secured it with 0.3 on the clock.

Then Perry did what put the Rebels in this position to begin with. He made both free throws and sealed a 76-72 win.

Ole Miss went 7-for-7 from the line in the final minute, which kept Georgia just far enough behind to close it out.

And yes, there were two missed goal-tending calls that did not get whistled. Would that have changed the game? Maybe. Maybe not.

The Rebels do not care. They are getting at least one more game.

Ole Miss Points Leaders

  • Points: AJ Storr, 19 (7-15 FG)
  • Rebounds: James Scott, 13
  • Assists: Ilias Kamardine, 4
  • Steals: Ilias Kamardine, 4
  • Blocks: James Scott, 3

Next Up

The Rebels’ surprising run continues. They are still three wins away from shocking the college basketball world and reaching the NCAA Tournament. The last time a team that won only four SEC games in the regular season captured the SEC Tournament was Georgia in 2008, so it can happen.

Ole Miss will have to get past No. 2-seed Alabama first. That quarterfinal matchup is set for 6 p.m. Friday on SEC Network.

HOTTYTODDY.COM HEADLINES