Playing in front of fans not far from Oxford, Ole Miss delivered a strong performance Wednesday night in Tupelo.
Malik Dia scored a season-high 27 points as Ole Miss defeated Alabama A&M 80-66 at Cadence Bank Arena, giving fans in northeast Mississippi a chance to see the Rebels in person as part of the program’s continued effort to play games around the state.
“It’s a responsibility when you coach at the University of Mississippi,” head coach Chris Beard said. “We have alumni, donors and fans in different parts of the state that can’t always get to Oxford every season. These games make a lot of sense, and we want to play basketball in Mississippi where our fans can see us.”
Ole Miss (7-4) wasted little time energizing the Tupelo crowd, opening the game with three consecutive 3-pointers to build a quick 9-3 lead. Alabama A&M (6-5) answered the early burst, trimming the deficit to 20-17 on a Kintavious Dozier three, but the Rebels quickly regained control.
A 10-0 Ole Miss run, capped by an Ilias Kamardine floater, pushed the advantage to 30-17 and shifted momentum back to the Rebels. Ole Miss continued its efficient offensive play the rest of the half, heading into the break with a 44-29 lead behind Dia’s 17 first-half points.
Ole Miss extended the lead early in the second half, building its largest advantage of the night at 67-45 with 8:10 remaining. Alabama A&M made a late push to cut the margin to 12 with under three minutes to play, but the Rebels closed strong, outscoring the Bulldogs 10-7 down the stretch to seal the win.
Beard said games like Wednesday’s matchup in Tupelo also serve as valuable preparation moving forward.
“It’s an opportunity,” Beard said. “We’re playing a really good team with NCAA Tournament aspirations basically on their home floor. I’d compare this game to what the SEC is going to be like once we start that 18-round fight after the new year.”
Ole Miss shot 54.0 percent from the field (27-of-50) and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc (8-of-18), continuing an efficient offensive stretch while giving Rebel fans across the state a night to remember in Tupelo.
