Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Holds on Late in 83-77 Rivalry Win Over Memphis Tigers

OXFORD, Miss. — The Ole Miss Rebels held on for an 83-77 victory over the Memphis Tigers on Tuesday night at the SJB Pavilion as head coach Chris Beard’s team advances to 3-0 on the season.

The Rebels were led by French native Ilias Kamardine who stole the show on Craddock Court with a tipoff-to-final-buzzer elite performance as he continues to make his name known in Oxford and across the league.

“Kamardine from DEEP” 🫡#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/0U6xD8ixpZ

— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) November 12, 2025

First Half

This game tipped off in an unusual way as Ole Miss won the tip, but a pressing Curtis Given immediately got a steal inside the three-point line before converting an easy layup to open the game.

This upbeat tempo continued as both teams came out physical on both ends of the floor, including a full court press from the Tigers after just two minutes of play.

Halfway through the first 20 minutes, the Rebels and Tigers stood in a deadlock, with neither team able to pull away.

However, Kamardine came out of a media timeout firing, scoring 7 straight for Ole Miss and giving the Rebels their largest lead of the night, 32-25.

The Tigers wouldn’t quit as they kept pushing defensively and turned defense into offense while cutting the lead to 3.

However, Kamardine continued to stay hot dazzling the crowd with an offensive showcase as he and the Rebels extended their lead up to nine, heading into the break up 42-33.

Kamardine ended the first half with a team-leading 16 points, along with 2 assists, a rebound, block and steal. He finished the first half shooting 7-9 from the field.

Through the first 20 minutes, Ole Miss shot 53% from the field, 62% from three, and 63% at the line.

In comparison, Memphis shot 43% from the field, 33% from three, and 60% at the line.

Second Half

Coming out of the break, the intensity from both squads was electric, as they both came out very aggressive. But through the first five minutes, Ole Miss held their advantage at 51-42.

The break also did not affect Kamardine, who notched a quick 5 points in the first five minutes of the half, including a deep three brining the Pavilion to their feet.

Over the course of the next few minutes, both squads’ aggressiveness kept playing out, but Ole Miss found control of the scoreboard as the Rebs pulled away to their largest lead of the night at 11, heading into a media timeout with a 60-49 advantage with 11:26 remaining.

Out of the timeout, both sides continued to play evenly, but a quick run by the Tigers left them down only 5 points with just under nine minutes remaining.

But the Rebels quickly pounced back and moved to an 11-point advantage with 6:24 remaining in the half as Malik Dia and Kezza Giffa eclipsed double digit points on the day.

This high-energy day only continued to get hotter as the game clock ran down to under five minutes to play.

A determined Memphis team refused to go away, keeping the score differential under 10 points.

Tensions kept rising as Thierno Sylla fouled out on a hard foul on Giffa, prompting negative reactions from the fans.

As the game clock eventually eclipsed two minutes to play, the Pavilion kept rocking as the Rebels defended a five-point lead with 1:30 left to play.

However, in the waining moments of the game, Ole Miss took command as they edged out the 83-77 win.

Notables

• Ilias Kamardine finished the night with 26 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds, shooting 78% from the field.
• Malik Dia remains a consistent presence for Ole Miss, scoring 13 on the night and notching 6 rebounds
• The defense played another solid game forcing 7 turnovers, with 5 steals and 2 blocks

On the day, Ole Miss shot 51% from the field, 61% from three, and 64% at the line.

In comparison, Memphis shot 46% from the field, 33% from three, and 70% at the line.

A Look Ahead

Ole Miss returns to the court Friday for what will be the final game ever in the Tad Pad. They’ll take on Cal State Bakersfield at 6:30 pm CT.