Ole Miss men’s basketball beats Auburn on the road, 85-79

AUBURN, Ala. — The streak is over. After 10 straight losses and weeks of searching for a breakthrough, Ole Miss walked into Neville Arena on Saturday night and found one, knocking off Auburn 85-79 in one of its most resilient performances of the season.

In a building known for swallowing visiting teams whole, the Rebels flipped the script.

Ole Miss trailed early and absorbed Auburn’s first punch, but never unraveled. Patton Pinkins sparked the Rebels in the opening half, drilling perimeter shots and attacking the rim with confidence. By halftime, Ole Miss had erased a late deficit and carried a 38-37 lead into the locker room behind balanced scoring and renewed energy.

Auburn answered quickly after the break, building an eight-point cushion and threatening to turn the night into another frustrating chapter for the Rebels. Instead, Ole Miss delivered its sharpest stretch of basketball in weeks.

A 13-3 run midway through the second half shifted momentum decisively. Pinkins buried another three to reclaim the lead, and the Rebels began dictating pace on both ends. Defensive stops turned into transition opportunities. Ball movement created clean looks. Confidence returned.

When Ole Miss stretched the margin to 12 with just over seven minutes remaining, the possibility of ending the skid suddenly felt real.

Auburn made one last push, trimming the deficit to a single possession inside five minutes. The pressure mounted. But this time, Ole Miss didn’t blink.

Ilias Kamardine drilled a clutch three-pointer with under three minutes to play, silencing the arena. Moments later, Kamardine found James Scott cutting down the lane for an alley-oop slam that served as the exclamation point — a play that felt symbolic of a team rediscovering its edge.

From there, the Rebels closed with poise at the free-throw line and toughness on the defensive end.

Pinkins delivered a career night, pouring in 26 points with remarkable efficiency. AJ Storr matched him with 26 of his own, continuing his role as an offensive spark. Scott protected the rim throughout, finishing with four blocks, while Eduardo Klafke controlled the glass with eight rebounds.

More than the numbers, though, Saturday was about resolve.

Ole Miss improved to 12-17 overall and 4-12 in SEC play, but the significance went beyond the standings. It was a reminder that even in a season filled with adversity, pride and fight remain.

The Rebels return home Tuesday night to face No. 21 Vanderbilt at the SJB Pavilion, carrying something they haven’t had in weeks — momentum.