New Headline: Bulldogs Secure Title, Wildcats Prepare for SEC Semifinals
Ole Miss senior guard AJ Storr hit a game-tying layup as time expired in regulation to send the No. 15 seed Rebels’ SEC Tournament semifinal game against No. 3 seed Arkansas into overtime Saturday afternoon.
The Razorbacks proved too much in extra time, however, defeating Ole Miss 93-90, ending the Rebels’ hopes at stealing a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Storr led the Rebels (15-20) with 24 points, while senior forward Malik Dia and senior guard Ilias Kamardine scored 16 and 13, respectively. Freshman guard Patton Pinkins finished with 15 points.
Arkansas (25-8) star guards Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. finished with 29 points and 24 points, respectively. The Rebels came into Saturday’s matchup having won three games – and had not trailed in any of the games – in three days in the SEC Tournament against top-25 scoring offenses and faced another in Arkansas, which came into the game fourth nationally in scoring at 90.
2 points per game. Ole Miss faced its first deficit of the SEC Tournament early Saturday afternoon, trailing 4-2 in the game’s opening minutes as Arkansas hit 10 of its first 16 from the field and took an 11-point lead midway through the first half. The Rebels trimmed the lead down to one with less than five minutes to play, though the Razorbacks responded with six straight points.
Pinkins was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with a second remaining in the period and hit all three of his free throws, making it a 37-36 Arkansas lead at the half. Storr led Ole Miss with nine first-half points. The teams went back and forth to start the second half, and a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Travis Perry gave the Rebels a 47-44 lead with just under 16 minutes remaining.