Rebels’ comeback falls short in 78-74 loss at Auburn
AUBURN – The Ole Miss men’s basketball team’s losing streak extended to four games Wednesday night in a 78-74 road loss to the Auburn Tigers.
The loss drops the Rebels to 10-18 overall and 2-13 in conference play, which is tied with LSU for thirteenth place. The Rebels will face LSU their next time out.
The Rebels played most of the game from behind, totaling over 30 minutes. Moreover, they trailed by double-digits multiple times throughout the game, but scoring runs kept the Rebels close, including a 13-0 run when down ten mid-way through the second half that gave them a 58-55 lead at the ten-minute mark.
However, they were only able to extend the lead to four (63-59) at its biggest with 6:21 to play. Then, the Tigers capitalized on an 11-1 run of their own to take the lead back, 70-64. They would not give up the lead until the score went final at 78-74.
Head coach Kermit Davis said that he was proud of his team’s effort and their constant fight to stay in the game but was disappointed with the outcome.
“I am really proud of our team, but disappointed. They keep fighting the good fight.”
Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis
Davis noted there were missed opportunities at the rim, missed chances for and-ones, and missed opportunities out in transition. However, the story of the game was at the free-throw line. Auburn shot 22-24 from the stripe, while the Rebels shot 20-32, with some of those misses coming during crunch time.
“They [Auburn] made all the free throws down the stretch,” Davis said.
Overall, the Rebels shot 41% from the field compared to a 48% shooting performance by the Tigers. Both teams shot relatively even from the three-point line, with the Rebels shooting 6-18 and the Tigers shooting 6-17.
The Rebels were led on the offensive end by guard Matthew Murrell, who scored 23 points, the most he has scored since returning from his knee injury. Forward Myles Burns recorded his fourth double-digit outing in his last seven games with 14 points. His defensive efforts were off-the-charts once again with six steals. Finally, guard James White recorded his first double-digit scoring performance of the season with 13 points, including shooting 2-2 from three-point range.
With three games remaining in the regular season, Davis said that there are still opportunities to finish the season strong.
“I keep telling them that there is a conference tournament at the end,” Davis said.
“We are going to be a tough out. I’m proud of our players and we have got to keep fighting it every day.”
Coach Davis
Up Next
The Rebels will return to the SJB Pavilion to begin their final stretch, starting with LSU this Saturday night. Tipoff from Oxford is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.
(Feature image credit: Ole Miss Men’s Basketball)
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!
