Rebels battle State for SEC-record 250th time
When Ole Miss (12-7, 3-3 SEC) and Mississippi State (9-10, 2-4 SEC) tip off Wednesday, it will be for the 250th time which makes it the SEC’s most-played rivalry. This key conference match-up will take place in the Tad Smith Coliseum at 8:00 pm.
Ole Miss is coming off a thrilling 72-71 win over Florida at home Saturday, while State enters the game on the heels of a 72-66 loss at home against Georgia.
Senior forward Jarvis Summers is only 12 points away from a career total 1500 points. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland)
Mississippi State is averaging 61.1 points per game this season– the fewest in the SEC and the 308th fewest in the nation—while the Rebels are averaging 74 points per game behind the scoring of Stefan Moody (15.1 points per game) and Jarvis Summers (13.4 points per game).
Moody leading the way
Junior guard Stefan Moody‘s 15.1 points per game are good enough for 8th place in scoring in the SEC. He is also on fire from the free throw line, making 74-of-82, for a blistering 90.2 percent completion rate. Moody has made 17-straight FTs which dates back to the game against Arkansas.
Jarvis Summers moves up the charts
Jarvis Summers only needs 12 points against State to reach 1,500 for his career, a milestone that would make him only the 14th player in conference history to amass 1,500 career points and 400 career assists.
The senior guard currently leads the SEC in assists at 5.0 per game. He is also the SEC’s active leader in four important categories: points (1,488), assists (445), minutes (3,455) and wins (76).
Rebels first in the nation in free throw percentage
Moody is shooting 90.2 percent from the free throw line and has made 17 straight. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland)
Ole Miss has hit 324-of-405 from the free throw line this season, an 80.0 completion percentage that places the Rebels in first place in both the conference and the nation. In the SEC, the Rebels are far ahead of all other teams; Alabama averages 73.7 percent from the line, good enough for 32nd in the nation.
Individually, Moody’s 90.2 free throw percent completion rate ranks him 10th in the country.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Mississippi State has two players averaging in double figures; senior forward Roquez Johnson with 11 points per game and junior guard Fred Thomas with 10 points per game.
Junior forward Gavin Ware is a rebounding machine for the Bulldogs, averaging 7.4 per game. In his last three games, Ware has notched a whopping 42 rebounds which is tops in the SEC.
State’s opponents, on the other hand, are having trouble on the boards—averaging only 30.7 rebounds per game. Ole Miss will enter the game against the Bulldogs averaging 37.8 rebounds per game.
Keep the streak alive
The Rebels won two of the three match-ups with the Bulldogs last year and have won three-straight against State in the friendly confines of the Tad Smith Coliseum.
Where to catch the game:
For fans not able to make it to the Tad Pad, the 8:00 pm game will be televised on the SEC Network. For fans who listen in on the Ole Miss Radio Network, the game will be called by longtime play-by-play man David Kellum and analyst Keith Carter.
Live video will be available via WatchESPN.com and live audio can be found at OleMissSports.com. It will be broadcast on satellite radio on Sirius 119 and XM 190.
Congrats Rebels on a great win over your arch rivals the Mississippi State Bulldogs. I’m guessing Tad Smith Coliseum was packed to the rafters with Rebel fans pumped. Please continue to work hard and to get a NCAA tourney bid. Go Rebels !!!!