Ole Miss defeats Arkansas in dramatic fashion, set to play Auburn in round two of SEC tournament
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ole Miss took down Arkansas in dramatic fashion, using a last-second three-pointer from Sean Pedulla to seal the 83-80 win in the first round of the SEC tournament.
Below is a game recap from both halves, along with Coach Beard’s comments on Arkansas and Auburn heading into round two.
SEAN PEDULLA BEATS THE BUZZER 🙌
Ole Miss takes down Arkansas in an SEC thriller! pic.twitter.com/JuMEh0K4a9
— ESPN (@espn) March 13, 2025
Press Conference
Beard took the stage in his presser, crediting Arkansas and Coach Cal for the impressive year they put together.
“It starts with Coach Cal, he’s been doing this a long time. Not just at Kentucky, but other schools along the way. He knows what he’s doing and has proven it over time, so I think their team has changed throughout the year, but now when the dust settles, they’re a second-weekend type team. Seven guys in their rotation are really good players, so we value this as a huge win.“
– Beard on the importance of the win
Advancing past the first round means that the Rebels will take on No. 1 Auburn tomorrow afternoon after losing twice versus the Tigers in the regular season. According to Beard, anything is possible in March, regardless of what happened during the regular season.
“One of, if not the best, teams in college basketball, but it’s a 40-minute game. It’s not who’s going to be the better team, it’s going to be who’s the better team that played those 40 minutes… it’s what makes March special. We don’t have to be better than Auburn, we just have to be better for 40 minutes.“
– Beard on facing Auburn
Before previewing round two, be sure to recap the highs and lows of today’s game below.
First Half
Malik Dia sparked the Rebels to start the game, winning the tip-off and following up with a fadeaway jump shot and three-pointer to give Ole Miss a 5-0 lead. With another pair of layups from Matt Murrell and Dia, the Rebs forced Arkansas to call their first timeout of the game with a 9-0 lead.
After the timeout, both teams found successful possessions, making the Rebel lead 11-4 heading into the next timeout with 15:35 on the clock.
In the next series of play, it was a game of back and forths, with Arkansas starting 4-4 from the field and Ole Miss responding with a 6-0 run of their own. Jaemyn Brakefield got hot for Ole Miss, scoring four of the six points and putting the Rebs ahead 20-16.
Juju Murray continued the offensive momentum for the Rebs, sinking a three followed by a series of baskets from Sean Pedulla. Defensively, Ole Miss had forced six turnovers through the 6:22 mark in the first half.
To conclude the half, Arkansas climbed within 10 points of Ole Miss, chasing a 42-34 Rebel lead. Dia led the way with 14 points, followed by Murray with 10.
Second Half
Unlike the start to the first half, it was Arkansas who took over to start the second, going on a 12-7 run to narrow the Ole Miss lead down to five. Before the first timeout with the Razorbacks within two, Davon Barnes nailed a three-pointer to put the Rebs ahead 49-44.
Arkansas’s momentum escalated, allowing them to take their first lead of the game with 10:48 to play in the second half. Jonas Aidoo and Billy Richmond extended the Razorback lead through steals and made baskets, making it a 60-53 game.
In an incredible effort from Du Klafke, the true freshman sunk his first three of the game to put the red and blue back within five. Out of the next timeout, Matt Murrell drained his first three of the day, backed up with two free throws from Dia to make it a two-point game. Entering the bonus with more than six minutes of play, Murray hit back-to-back free throws to tie the game at 63-63.
With the help of more stellar offense from Murrell and Dia, the Rebs had propelled themselves back into the driver’s seat, leading 69-65 with roughly five minutes left to play. Over the next couple of minutes, Arkansas’ Jonas Aidoo reached his fifth foul, eliminating his dominant presence from the game.
In the final media timeout of the game with 2:57 on the clock, Ole Miss held a 77-72 lead and both teams were in the double bonus.
Despite a constant battle of made shots for the remainder of the game, it was Sean Pedulla who made his first three of the game to give the Rebels an 83-80 lead, along with the win, in shocking fashion.
What’s Next?
The next round will tip off at noon central time tomorrow in Nashville, Tennessee. Be sure to tune in on ESPN and stay updated with The Rebel Walk for all of your Ole Miss sports needs.
