Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Upsets Texas 76-66 in First Round of SEC Tournament

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ole Miss pulled off a 76-66 upset over No. 10-seed Texas after a dynamic night from Malik Dia and the rest of the Rebels. Ole Miss kept turnovers to three and showcased great defense against the Horns.

REBELS ADVANCE!!! Ole Miss upset Texas 76-66 in the First Round of the SEC Tournament. Hotty Toddy! #OleMiss #SECTourney pic.twitter.com/JR6MemgrQc

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) March 12, 2026

Malik Dia scored zero points in the first meeting with Texas earlier in the season, but tonight he shined with 23 points. The Rebels forced 13 Texas turnovers, managed 12 steals and added six blocks on the night. While Dia played exceptionally, AJ Storr, Ilias Kamardine, and James Scott also contributed to the Rebels’ upset victory after many people had written them off.

Standout Performers

• Malik Dia- 23 points, four rebounds, and two steals
• AJ Storr- 18 points  and two steals
• Ilias Kamardine- 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals
• James Scott- 10 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks

Tonight’s Rebel Walk Player of the Game is Malik Dia! He had an impressive showing against Texas in the Rebels’ 76-66 victory. His stat-line contributed to Ole Miss advancing to the Second Round of the SEC Tournament. Congratulations, Malik! pic.twitter.com/gWJElUkNTM

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) March 12, 2026

First Half

The game remained scoreless for over two minutes until Patton Pinkins’ free throw put the Rebels on the board. After some blocks, Ole Miss led 5-0 with 15:58 left in the first half.

Tramon Mark got the Horns on the board with a layup with just under 15 minutes left in the half. Neither team was having a great scoring night to this point. Ole Miss was keeping a manageable distance ahead of the Horns with an eight-point lead with 11:38 left in the half. The Rebels were playing good defense, blocking shots and forcing turnovers.

Kamardine, Storr, and Dia each tallied six points, boosting the lead to 24-14 with nine minutes left in the half, excelling on both ends of the court.

Ole Miss struggled to score for over three-and-a-half minutes until Dia’s layup ended the drought. Texas couldn’t capitalize and still trailed by seven with 3:45 left in the half.

Dia hit a three with 2:11 left, giving him 14 points in the first half at that point. The Rebels played strong defense, recording six steals and five blocks. Dia then finished the half with a layup, giving him 17 and Ole Miss a 41-30 lead.

Second Half

Mark hit a three-pointer for the Horns to score the first points of the second half. Ole Miss continued to battle with Texas, but the Rebels were able to hold the lead at eight after another Dia jumper. Ole Miss remained ahead, 46-38, with 16:09 left in the game.

Texas fought back, trimming the Rebels’ lead down to four via a Jordan Pope three-pointer with 12:52 remaining in the game.

After a timeout, Kamardine hit back-to-back jumpers to put Ole Miss back up nine and give him 12 points on the night. Ole Miss remained ahead, 57-48, with 11:25 left in the game.

The Rebels’ defense kept Texas from scoring a field goal for five minutes, recording 10 steals and 6 blocks. The Rebels held a 62-49 advantage with 7:56 left.

However, Ole Miss soon began to struggle with shooting, and Texas tried to chip away at the Rebels’ lead. Dailyn Swayn scored a basket for Texas, but Ole Miss answered right back with a dunk by James Scott. Ole Miss led 66-57 with 4:51 left in the game.

The Horns battled back within three after a Camden Heide and-1 layup. He sank the free throw, followed by a Jordan Pope three-point basket. Texas was down just 66-63 with 3:37 left in the game. But James Scott then dunked to put the Rebels up five after the timeout. After both teams missed a couple of shots, Scott scored again with a put-back layup. He had ten points and delivered back-to-back baskets when needed most.

Kamardine sank a layup, and the Rebels went on a 6-0 run in just over a minute. Texas endured a three-minute offensive drought before Swain made two free throws. But Ole Miss still led, 72-64, with 1:13 left.

The Rebels maintained the lead, finished the game strong and pulled off the 76-66 upset over Texas.

What’s Next

Ole Miss faces Georgia in the SEC Tournament’s second round Thursday at 6 p.m. CT. Follow live coverage here at The Rebel Walk!