Sebastian Saiz led the Rebels to a 82-72 victory over Georgia Southern in what was a career game for the junior from Madrid, Spain. He posted 24 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks.
“With Jarvis and Snoop gone, someone’s got to step up and lead the team in points besides Moody,” Saiz said. “More time, more points, and no one is taking my rebounds. It’s better for me.”
J.T. Escobar dribbles down the court in a game earlier this season. (Photo by: Marlee Crawford)
Saiz is a rejuvenated player this season. With back-to-back double-doubles, Ole Miss looks to finally have that low-post presence that they haven’t had since Murphy Holloway in 2013.
Saiz credits his improvement to all of the work he put in during the offseason. He said he worked on his hook shots, rebounding and jumpers.
“They were a small team and I just did whatever they give me,” Saiz said. “They were a small team and I took advantage of it.”
With Saiz being the clear No. 1 big on the team, the Rebels are going to count on him for more production this year.
“I want him to demand it more,” Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy said. “He’s 6 foot 9 with a 7’6” wingspan, so we’re just trying to get it to him where he can play to his strengths. I thought he did a good job of that tonight.”
Despite the win, the Rebels were a heavy favorite and struggled to put the Eagles away at any point in this game. Georgia Southern knocked down 11 three-pointers best online casino and forced 10 Rebel turnovers. Meanwhile, Ole Miss did not shoot the ball well from beyond the arc, hitting just two of 14 threes.
“I’m more frustrated with the Ole Miss Rebels,” Kennedy said. “I wish we had a better carry-over and wish our attention to detail was better.”
The Rebels led 46-35 at halftime, but let the Eagles cut the deficit to three at 59-56 with 8:03 to play in the second half. The Rebels went on a 7-0 run that would just be enough to win the game.
Stefan Moody also added 22 points and eight rebounds in the victory. The Rebels made 40 of 53 free throws, sealing the victory down the stretch.
Next up, the Rebels will travel to Charleston, South Carolina to play in the Gildan Charleston Classic, which includes Bradley, George Mason, Long Beach State, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall, Towson and Virginia.
This tournament could be a golden opportunity for the Rebels to gain some non-conference wins to stack their NCAA Tournament resume early in the season. The Rebels tipoff against Georgia Mason on Thursday at 11 a.m.
For continuous coverage of Ole Miss men’s basketball, follow @browningstubbs and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
