Ole Miss didn’t need to play perfect basketball Wednesday night. It just needed to finish. And that’s the part that keeps slipping away.
For most of the night in College Station, the Rebels looked like the team more in control. They led for long stretches, handled Texas A&M’s runs, and kept answering every time the Aggies tried to tilt the game their way.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was steady. It looked like the kind of road performance that snaps a long losing streak.
Instead, it turned into the eighth straight loss, sealed in the final seconds of an 80-77 defeat that felt heavier than the score.
That’s the part that stings. When you’re already in a spot where you need a miracle just to make the SEC Tournament feel worthwhile, these are the ones you can’t let slip. And Ole Miss had this one right in its hands.
The Rebels didn’t get run off the floor. They didn’t fold. They just couldn’t close.
Texas A&M made the late plays. It grabbed the extra rebound, the loose ball and the shots that mattered. Ole Miss didn’t. And after leading most of the way, that’s a tough thing to sit with.
The frustrating part is that there were real positives.
AJ Storr kept the offense moving with 21 points. Travis Perry, Ilias Kamardine, and Malik Dia all gave Ole Miss something when it needed it. The Rebels shot over 52 percent from the field. They didn’t foul much. They didn’t look like a team that’s dropped eight straight.
But the same issues that have followed them all month showed up again: second‑chance points, late‑game execution, and the inability to put a game away when the door is wide open.
Texas A&M didn’t overwhelm Ole Miss. It just outlasted it.
And that’s what makes this one feel like a gut punch.
When you’re fighting to keep the season from slipping into something you can’t recover from, losing a game you led for most of the night hits differently. It’s not just another mark in the loss column. It’s another reminder of how thin the margin has become.
Eight straight losses. Another winnable game gone in the final moments. Another night where the Rebels were right there and couldn’t finish the job.
At some point, the math starts to run out. And Wednesday may have been the final variable to the season-ending formula.
Ole Miss Top Performers
- Points: AJ Storr, 21
- Rebounds: Malik Dia, 5
- Assists: Koren Johnson, 6
- Steals: Patton Pinkins, 3
- Blocks: Three players with 1
Next Up
Things aren’t going to get any easier for the Rebels, even on their homecourt.
No. 11 Florida (20-6, 11-2 SEC) is set to travel to Oxford on Saturday to face Ole Miss at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
