Ole Miss produced the first stunning result of the 2026 SEC Tournament on Wednesday, beating No. 10-seed Texas 76-66.
The 15th-seeded Rebels played the type of game they’ve been in many times before this season. The difference between this and all those other close losses, is the Rebels made their shots, grabbed rebounds and continued playing shutdown defense.
REBS ROLLIN’🔥#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/tTpyHzugJy
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) March 12, 2026
Afterwards, Ole Miss senior guard AJ Storr and junior forward James Scott met with reporters to talk about the win over the Longhorns. Here’s everything they said:
James Scott on defense’s effectiveness…
Everybody was on the same page. We stuck to the scouting report and tried to take it one possession at a time. I was just trying to protect the rim, and the guards did a great job funneling guys toward me.
AJ Storr on defending Texas’ Matas Vokietaitis…
Just making it tough for him around the rim. Sending multiple guys at him. He’s seven feet tall, so we wanted to crowd him and try to get him into foul trouble.
Storr on closing out the game…
Just players making plays. Elliot made some plays late. James had a big alley-oop. I got downhill a couple times. It was just guys stepping up down the stretch.
Scott on closing out the game…
We learned from mistakes earlier in the year. Tonight we stayed composed and finished the game.
Storr on motivation of an automatic NCAA Tournament invitation…
We’re just taking it one game at a time. That’s all you can do.
Scott on difference in this close game compared to others…
We just kept making plays and the coaches gave us confidence in the huddles.
Scott on emotions after the win…
I’m just glad we’re still alive. That could have been my last college game. Now we get to focus on the next one.
Storr on having four players with double-digit point totals…
It helps elevate our team when everybody contributes, both offensively and defensively.
Scott on team’s defensive mindset…
Everybody knew what was at stake. We came out with the mindset to throw the first punch.
Storr on team’s defensive mindset…
We communicated well and stuck to the game plan. We played a lot of gap defense and tried to limit driving lanes.
Storr on biggest difference in second half…
We made free throws and hit some shots. That helped us close it out.
