Ole Miss men’s basketball advances to second round of SEC Tourney with 67-61 win over South Carolina
NASHVILLE – The Ole Miss men’s basketball team survived and advanced to the second round of the SEC Tournament with a 67-61 victory over the No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks Wednesday night in Nashville, Tenn.
The win made Rebel interim head coach Win Case the first interim coach to win a game in the SEC Tournament since Alabama’s Philip Pearson in 2009. The also win propels Ole Miss into a matchup with No. 5 Tennessee in the second round, a place they have not been since being the six-seed in the 2021 tournament.
The headliner for the Rebels was freshman guard Amaree Abram. He got hot from the floor, scoring 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including five threes, a career high. It also was his season high in points for an SEC game this season.
Somebody get him a map because @amareeabram has him LOST! pic.twitter.com/8UnicKmTrg
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) March 9, 2023
Two other Ole Miss players finished in double-figures. Forward Jaemyn Brakefield finished with 16 points, including scoring in double-figures in the second half alone, along with Abram.
Guard James White scored 10 points, including a two-point dagger with 13 seconds left to seal the game. He rounded out a double-double by grabbing 10 rebounds.
BOOM 💥@OleMissMBB x #SECTourney pic.twitter.com/QgHHsQss5Y
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) March 9, 2023
The first half was back-and-forth, with the largest Rebel lead being six points and the largest Gamecock lead being two points. Abram was the leading scorer for Ole Miss with eight points, but forward Myles Burns literally stole the show with five steals in the half. The Rebels took a 30-29 lead into the halftime break.
The story of the second half was runs. After the Gamecocks took a one-point lead to open the second half, Ole Miss responded with an 9-0 run to take a 39-31 lead. With the Rebels up seven at the 13-minute mark, the Gamecocks went on a 10-0 run to take a two-point lead, 46-44.
Ole Miss would then respond with a 13-2 run of its own, taking a 56-48 lead with six minutes to go. The Rebels would not give up the lead the rest of the game.
Overall, Ole Miss led for over 30 minutes in the game and over 100 minutes combined in the three games against the Gamecocks this season.
Offensively, the Rebels shot 42% from the field, which was virtually even with South Carolina. They also shot 41% (9-22) from three-point range as opposed to 29% (6-21) from the Gamecocks.
The two difference makers for Ole Miss were fast-break points and bench points. The Rebels outscored the Gamecocks in transition, 13-2, and the bench, led by Abram, outscored the Gamecock bench 22-3.
Talk to 'em @Jaemyn1 pic.twitter.com/P2Ab3W0SpI
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) March 9, 2023
However, the most crucial play of the game was White’s jumper in the final seconds, which was aided by his own offensive rebound, and Case said postgame that the play was drawn up specifically for him.
“James White is always wanting us to run something for him. He is probably one of our best one-on-one players on our team.”
Coach Win Case on James White
Case also revealed that TJ Caldwell, who was going to replace White with two minutes to go, told Case to keep White in the game because he felt as if White gave the Rebels the best chance to win. That came to full fruition.
“He gave himself up and said it was all about the team and not about me. That is one of the main reasons why we won the game.”
Coach Case on TJ Caldwell
He was also proud of Abram’s performance, especially after a lackluster showing in the season finale against Missouri.
“We know he can put the ball in the basket, and you saw that tonight,” Case said. “We knew if he was locked in, he was going to have a performance like that, and he did.”
Up Next
The Rebels will now face the Tennessee Volunteers for the second time this season, with the first game narrowly going to the Volunteers, 63-59, in Oxford. The Rebels led by six at the half of that contest, but they could not hold on in the second.
Case said that his team is excited about the chance to play another day in Nashville.
“They will definitely be ready to play. It is going to be a very competitive game, and we are looking forward to it.”
Coach Case
Case and the No. 13 Rebels will look to avenge the December loss and continue their stay in Nashville this Thursday. Tipoff from Bridgestone Arena is set for around 2:00 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!
