Offensive struggles plague Rebels in 64-61 loss to South Carolina
OXFORD – The Ole Miss men’s basketball team suffered a demoralizing, 64-61, loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday afternoon at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford.
The Gamecocks entered the game with one conference win, but Saturday’s win puts them ahead of the Rebels, who now sit at 2-10 in conference play, in the SEC standings. The Ole Miss loss also drops the Rebels’ record to 10-15 for the season, and they remain winless at home in SEC play.
The first half was close, with the Rebels taking a 38-35 lead into the break. The three ball was working for both teams, as each tallied six three-point makes.
However, the second half was a struggle from the offensive end for both squads, but the Gamecocks finished the game on a 9-2 run after trailing the Rebels 59-55 with 1:31 to go. Missed free throws and inability to make shots eradicated the Rebels’ chances of winning the game down the stretch.
Rebel head coach Kermit Davis stressed many times that the lack of shot-making is what did his team in against the Gamecocks.
“You’ve got to keep scoring. In basketball, you’ve got to score some points. We had chances to really increase the lead, tons of them that we had. I take all the blame for it.”
Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis on the loss
The Rebels led for a total of 31:20, while the Gamecocks had the lead for only 2:47, which only occurred in the second half.
The story was a tale of two halves on the scoring end for the Rebels. Ole Miss shot 41% from the field and 6-14 from three in the first half. The second half saw the Rebels shoot 32% and not make a three-point attempt (0-9). Moreover, the Rebels’ only field goal in the last 6:59 of the game came with one second left.
“Just a lot of missed offensively down the stretch,” Davis said. “We had some breakdowns defensively, but just couldn’t finish balls around the rim and had some open shots.”
The Rebels were led on the offensive end by guard Tye Fagan, who scored 17 points, including shooting 8-10 from the free-throw line. He said that the same “two-to-three-minute stretches” of bad basketball came to fruition once again.
“It is a redundant thing,” Fagan said.
“We have two/three-minute stretches throughout a game whether it is at the front of the second half, the middle, or towards the end like today where we have small scoring droughts and defensive breakdowns. That is more frustrating than anything.”
Ole Miss guard Tye Fagan
The other Rebel in double-figures was forward Robert Allen, who scored 11 points and grabbed seven boards. Guard Matthew Murrell, who fouled-out of the game, finished with eight points.
Davis still believes that this team can turn things around in the last six games of the regular season.
“I do,” Davis said. “No question about it. We have been a really inept team at home, and I apologize to our fans for that. We are not putting a product out on the floor that we need to put. We’ve got to keep getting better. All you can do is go back to the gym.”
Up Next
The Rebels (10-15, 2-10 SEC) will look to bounce back this Wednesday (Feb. 15) on the road against the Florida Gators. Tipoff from Gainesville is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
Trevor Terminie
Trevor is a senior at Ole Miss pursuing a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Sports Communication and Promotion. He has previous experience covering sports for another site, including a variety of Ole Miss sports. Growing up in New Orleans, La., he has the Pelicans and Saints running through his blood. He also grew up in an LSU family, but his love for Ole Miss continues to grow. Trevor hopes to cover sports back in his hometown after college. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
