Ole Miss downs Georgia, 76-72, in SEC Tournament Second Round
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Rebels’ SEC Tournament run continues as Ole Miss defeated No. 7-seed Georgia, 76-72, in second-round action Thursday. night.
Although the Rebels once held a lead of 23 points, Georgia mounted a fierce comeback, nearly overtaking Chris Beard’s team in the final minutes. But Ole Miss made key plays in the closing seconds to secure the win, demonstrating resilience along the way.
Malik Dia, AJ Storr, and Travis Perry all stepped up for the Rebels in the win, making it clear this team is ready for battle.
Top Performers
- AJ Storr- 19 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals
- Malik Dia- 17 points and five rebounds
- Travis Perry- 16 points and six rebounds
Here is the breakdown of tonight’s game.
First Half
Malik Dia opened the game with a turnaround jumper, and James Scott was soon fouled on a dunk, making his free throw. The Rebels scored five straight before Georgia’s first points. Scoring was a bit slow in the first five minutes; Ole Miss led 9-5 with fifteen minutes left in the first half.
Georgia went five minutes without a field goal, but the Rebels had their own struggles as well, scoring just once in that stretch and letting the Bulldogs stay close. AJ Storr’s three then made it 14-8 Rebels with 11:32 left in the half.
Both teams endured scoring droughts, failing to capitalize on each other’s misses. Ole Miss did keep the lead, but couldn’t pull away until Travis Perry hit two threes to put the Rebels up nine points with four minutes left in the half.
Outside of free throws, Georgia was unable to score much. The Rebels pulled farther ahead, thanks to Storr, Illias Kamardine, and Dia, and were leading 34-20 at halftime—one of Georgia’s lowest first-half totals this season.
Second Half
Scott scored to open the second half for Ole Miss, followed by Perry’s third three-pointer of the night. The Rebels quickly extended the lead to 39-24 with 18 minutes to play.
Perry reached double digits after sinking two free throws following a flagrant foul. Dia caught fire, hitting a three, a mid-range shot, another three, followed by a layup, pushing his total to 17 points.
The Rebels extended their lead to 20 points, 55-35, with 12:26 remaining. Beard’s team played as many had expected them to back when the season began. However, the momentum shifted sharply soon after, setting up a tense finish.
Georgia responded with a sudden burst, putting together a 20-2 run over four-and-a-half minutes. This comeback cut the Ole Miss lead to just five, with the Rebels holding a narrow 57-52 edge with eight minutes left. Ole Miss’ earlier dominance had evaporated, and the game became a nail-biter, as momentum appeared to shift toward head coach Mike White’s Bulldogs.
Perry hit another three, however, answered by a Georgia layup. Catchings added another for the Bulldogs, cutting the Rebels’ lead to two. But Storr’s two free throws put Ole Miss up four points with a bit over five minutes left.
With 1:30 left in the game, the Rebels led 68-63. Georgia went cold, going scoreless from the field for over three minutes. Storr hit a jumper that gave Ole Miss a seven-point edge. Georgia responded with two free throws and began fouling, putting the Rebs in the bonus.
Ole Miss’ Kezza Giffa made two free throws, then Millender scored for Georgia. It was 72-67, Ole Miss, with 30 seconds left.
Storr missed the second of two free-throw attempts, and then Dylan James of Georgia threw down a dunk, making it a 73-71 game with just five seconds to play. Kezza Giffa missed his first free throw on Ole Miss’s next possession, and Georgia called a timeout. Giffa then made the second, giving his team a 74-71 lead, prompting Ole Miss coach Chris Beard to call a timeout to prepare the defense, as Georgia would need a three-pointer to force overtime.
Giffa fouled before Georgia’s half-court shot, sending the Bulldogs to the line for two free throws. Georgia made one. Perry was fouled with 0.3 seconds left and sank both. Ole Miss survived Georgia 76-72 to move on in the tournament.
What’s Next?
Next up, the Ole Miss Rebels take on Alabama in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. Stay tuned for full live coverage from The Rebel Walk as the Rebels aim to keep their tournament run alive.
Parks Burcham
Parks Burcham is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi. He is majoring in Journalism, emphasis in Sports Media, with a minor in Sports Management. He is originally from Booneville, Mississippi and graduated high school from Jumpertown Attendance Center.His favorite sports are basketball and football. He chose this path because he has always been extremely interested in the sports world. Parks enjoys all aspects of the game and hopes to do great work in this field.
