The Ole Miss Rebels suffered a heartbreaking 66-75 loss to SEC rival Tennessee Wednesday night. After leading for most of the game, the Volunteers, led by senior Robert Hubbs III, capitalized on numerous Rebels turnovers to fuel a late 20-4 comeback run. After shooting just 1-10 down the stretch, Ole Miss falls to 14-10 with a 5-6 SEC record.
Ole Miss turned the ball over more than 18 times and committed an astonishing 28 personal fouls. Even after improving lately, the Rebels have struggled mightily with turnovers all season. Head coach Andy Kennedy has made it clear that if his team wants to win, it needs to hold onto the ball. Yet, the Rebels, largely a young and inexperienced group, may lack the big-game experience to close out these tight SEC matches. Transfer guard Deandre Burnett and freshman Breein Tyree contributed five and four turnovers, respectively.
One of the few bright spots on the evening, Sebastian Saiz, a native of Madrid, captured his 17th double-double this season. The senior pulled down 15 rebounds and put 13 points up on the Vols. Averaging more than 15 points-per-game and more than 11 rebounds-per-game, Saiz has been an integral cog in Kennedy’s plan all year. The big man, unfortunately, can’t do it alone.
Terence Davis, a sophomore guard from Southaven, started with an impressive first half, but foul trouble kept him on the bench for large portions of the second half. Marcanvis Hymon and Deandre Burnett got into similar foul trouble. Burnett, often Ole Miss’ biggest offensive weapon, shot just 15 percent from the field, good enough for seven points. While it’s hard to blame a player for having an off night, it’s slightly easier to question why so many Rebels chose to have theirs on the same night.
At the other end of the court, Grant Williams, a freshman guard, shot 58 percent in front of the arc and contributed 20 points for the Volunteers. Hubbs III shot for 18 points and added four assists to the Tennessee effort. The Vols’ offense appeared to flow much more smoothly than the Rebels’ did, relying less on individual drives and more on smart ball circulation.
With an RPI in the mid 50s before Wednesday’s game, the Rebels are now in serious danger of missing out on the SEC Tournament. Beating the Vols, who possessed an Rating Percentage Index, a key statistic in determining which 68 teams make it to March Madness, in the mid 30s would have gone a long way toward fulfilling the Rebels’ postseason dreams. Now, it seems the Rebels may need a miracle. For all intents and purposes, Ole Miss fans should probably pencil out the NIT into their calendars.
Kennedy’s men now look forward to an SEC match at home against Auburn Saturday.
