Rebels fall to No. 22 Auburn for first time since 2012

There were two streaks on the line going into the game between Ole Miss and No. 22 Auburn Tuesday night, and one of them would be broken after the two teams squared-off. Auburn entered the contest with the Rebels in the midst of a 12-game winning streak, the second-longest active streak in the country, while Ole Miss went into the game having won 10 straight over the Tigers, dating back to the 2012 season.

Unfortunately for the Rebel faithful, however, it was their streak that would be broken as Auburn (15-1, 3-0 SEC) defeated Ole Miss (9-7, 2-2), 85-70. (Click here for box score.)

Rebels get off to fast start

Terence Davis (Photo: Josh McCoy)

Andy Kennedy’s squad, coming off of a big win against heated-rival Mississippi State, was without leading scorer and assist man Deandre Burnett who missed the game due to flu-like symptoms, but that didn’t seem to slow down the Rebels in the first 20 minutes of action.

Ole Miss raced out to a 45-35 lead and appeared to have the game under control going into halftime, only turning the ball over four times to Auburn’s nine. The Rebels were also playing stout defense, forcing Auburn to shoot a measly 17 percent (3-17) from the 3-point line in the first half. Bruce Stevens was extremely effective and pitched in 10 points in only 8 minutes on the floor.

Second-half blues

Ole Miss couldn’t get much of anything going offensively in the second half, shooting only 26 percent (7-27) and 17 percent (2-12) from three. Stevens also found himself in foul trouble early and was forced to sit, only playing a total of 4 minutes in the final 20.

While the Rebels struggled to find a rhythm, Auburn came out of the intermission on fire. They shot at a 56 percent (15-27) clip in the second half, including 60 percent (3-5) from 3-point range. They would go on to defeat the Rebels 85-70.

On the bright side for Ole Miss, Breein Tyree had another good outing, leading all players with 24 points (7-18, 4-10), along with four assists and two steals. Terence Davis also had a solid game, notching a double double, his first of the season, with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Stevens finished with 12 for the Rebels, while Dominik Olejniczak added 10. Markel Crawford finished with 6, while Devontae Shuler tallied 5.

Up Next:

Ole Miss will face the Florida Gators (11-4) at home in Oxford on Saturday, January 13 at Noon (CT).