The Ole Miss Rebels delivered a stunning blow to Texas’ March Madness aspirations Wednesday night, controlling the entire game in a 76-66 upset victory during the opening round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. The loss puts the Longhorns in a precarious position as they await Selection Sunday.
Leading the charge for the 15th-seeded Rebels (13-19) was Malik Dia, who poured in 23 points in the wire-to-wire victory. AJ Storr contributed 18 points while Ilias Kamardine added 16 for Ole Miss, which managed the win despite connecting on just one of ten attempts from beyond the arc. James Scott rounded out the scoring with 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds as the Rebels earned a Thursday matchup against seventh-seeded Georgia.
For the 10th-seeded Longhorns (18-14), Dailyn Swain delivered a double-double performance with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Jordan Pope contributed 16 points and Matas Vokietaitis added 10, but their efforts weren’t enough to prevent Texas from falling into dangerous territory regarding their NCAA Tournament chances, which will be determined during Sunday’s selection show.
Texas made a late push to steal the victory, cutting a nine-point deficit to just three points at 66-63 with 4:07 left on the clock. Camden Heide converted a three-point play before Pope drained a three-pointer to fuel the comeback attempt. However, Ole Miss responded immediately with six consecutive points to seal the outcome.
In other first-round SEC Tournament action, Auburn enhanced their tournament resume with a convincing 79-61 triumph over Mississippi State. Kevin Overton led the Tigers with 22 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while KeShawn Murphy added 15 points and nine boards. The Tigers (17-15) will take on fifth-seeded Tennessee (21-10) in Thursday’s second round.
Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard, who had torched Auburn for 46 points in their regular season meeting, was held to 22 points on inefficient 8-of-25 shooting. The Bulldogs (13-19) saw their season come to an end.
Kentucky kept their tournament hopes alive with an 87-82 victory over LSU, led by Otega Oweh’s 23 points and eight rebounds. The Wildcats (20-12) took care of the basketball with only five turnovers while Brandon Garrison shot 7-of-9 from the field for 17 points. LSU’s Max Mackinnon led all scorers with 28 points in the losing effort for the Tigers (15-17).
Oklahoma continued their hot streak with an 86-74 win over South Carolina, extending their winning streak to five games. Nijel Pack knocked down five three-pointers en route to 24 points for the 11th-seeded Sooners (18-14), who overcame a 13-point first-half deficit. The victory sets up a Thursday night clash with sixth-seeded Texas A&M as Oklahoma fights to keep their tournament dreams alive.
