Despite an impressive second-half comeback, Ole Miss lost by a score of 99-97 to South Dakota State in overtime Tuesday night at the Pavilion.
Devontae Shuler looks for a layup at the rim in the first half of the 99-97 upset by the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Shuler finished with 19 points off the bench and went 8 of 14 from field goal range. Photo by Billy Schuerman
The visiting Jackrabbits got off to a strong start, outscoring Ole Miss by 10 points in the first three minutes. South Dakota State then continued to dominate, keeping the lead the for the entire first half. Forward Mike Daum was 6 of 13 on field goals and 4 of 10 from beyond the 3-point line, amassing 16 points through the first 20 minutes.
Ole Miss was unable to find a rhythm and their poor shooting further contributed to the deficit. Junior Terence Davis, who currently leads the team in points scored through six games, struggled, converting a single field goal through the first half and missing on all three of his three-point attempts. He ended the half with two points.
Markel Crawford, the graduate transfer from Memphis, worked to fill Ole Miss’ offensive gap, earning 12 points in his 13 minutes on the court. Freshman Devontae Shuler contributed a further eight points in the half.
The first half ended with Ole Miss trailing, 55-35.
Guard Markel Crawford stares down a defender in the 99-97 upset executed by the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Crawford finished with 19 points and went 7 for 11 from field goal range off the bench. Photo by Billy Schuerman
The Rebels came out strong after half time, at one point going on a 19-6 run, as they gradually chipped away at the deficit.
A few fast breaks helped Ole Miss continue to put points on the scoreboard. Terrific transition scoring from Devontae Shuler led to an 11 point second half performance. Terence Davis also came alive in the second half, leading the Rebels with 20 points. Marcanvis Hymon finished with 11 rebounds.
Trouble, however, arrived for Ole Miss when Terrence Davis fouled out with 1:18 left in the second half.
“It was problematic not to have Davis in at the end because he is a pretty unusual player,” head coach Andy Kennedy later said.
Ole Miss, at one point, took the lead late in the second half but could not maintain it. By the end of regulation, the score was tied 82-82.
“One of the things we have talked about is sense of urgency, our awareness,” Kennedy said. “I knew that if we would get downhill and try to make it a game and put some game pressure on them we could get back in it and we got back in it really quickly.”
The Rebels outscored the Jackrabbits by 20 points in the second half, tying the game and forcing an overtime showdown.
Although the Rebels battled back in the second half, there was frustration in the huddle. After a lopsided five minutes of overtime, the fate of the game was sealed.
“They were a little down when we went into overtime because they thought we could have stole it at the end of regulation,” Kennedy said.
South Dakota State ultimately outscored Ole Miss by two points and left the Rebels dissatisfied with another winnable loss.
The Rebels now look forward to their next game at home against Virginia Tech on Saturday at 1:00pm.
