Too much Tide: Alabama has huge second half to defeat Ole Miss
OXFORD — Ole Miss led by 14 points in the first half, blew that lead and came back to tie things midway through the second half Wednesday night versus Alabama.
The final 9:39, however, was a clinic for the Crimson Tide and a disaster for Ole Miss.
Alabama got open 3s, points at the rim and offensive rebounds to put the Rebels away. Meanwhile, Ole Miss’ offense grew stagnant and the Rebels lost their composure at a key moment en route to a 103-88 loss to the 14th-ranked Crimson Tide.
“The first half was one of our better halves all season,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said. “It was one of our better 20-minute segments. Going into the game, in my mind, I thought we had to score 90 points to win this game and probably needed to make nine or 10 3s. …I knew we were going to get their best shot tonight. It’s basically a championship-type game for them as they try to win the league.”
For Ole Miss (19-9 overall, 6-9 in the Southeastern Conference), it was the Rebels’ sixth loss in their last seven games. Barring a miracle run next month in Nashville at the SEC Tournament, Ole Miss’ season will end without an NCAA Tournament bid. Alabama improved to 20-8 overall and 12-3 in the SEC.
Alabama scored 64 second-half points, including 38 in the final 10 minutes. The Crimson Tide made 15 of their 37 attempts from the 3-point line and shot 50 percent from the floor. Ole Miss, meanwhile, shot 52 percent from the floor and 36 percent from the 3-point line, making eight of its 22 shots from deep. Do the math. Alabama scored 45 points behind the 3-point line, 21 more than the Rebels.
Alabama trailed rebounds at one point, 19-10, before charging back to win that statistic, 36-31. Alabama won points off turnovers, second-chance points and points in the paint. Ole Miss committed 14 turnovers while forcing just eight.
“Fourteen offensive rebounds are non-negotiable for us,” Beard said. “We turned the ball over too much.”
Ole Miss tied the game at 65-65 with 9:39 left. Within a minute, Alabama led by five points and never led by fewer than four points the rest of the way. Beard said untimely turnovers, a couple of wasted possessions, lack of execution and fatigue hurt the Rebels in that stretch.
“The ball kind of stuck on a night when we were really getting what we wanted offensively,” Beard said.
Alabama had a six-point possession around the 5-minute mark. Davin Cosby Jr., knocked down a 3-pointer as Ole Miss’ Moussa Cisse committed a Flagrant 1 foul. Nick Pringle made one of two free throws and Alabama maintained possession. Jaemyn Brakefield committed a foul under the Tide’s basket and Jarin Stevenson made both free throws, extending Alabama’s lead to 11 points.
Beard said he didn’t get an explanation from the officiating crew regarding the call against Cisse. He said that’s “frustrating sometimes from the coach’s standpoint.”
Mark Sears led Alabama with 26 points. Aaron Estrada added 18, Davin Cosby Jr. 15, Rylan Griffen 14 and Grant Nelson and Nick Pringle 10 each. Estrada added 10 rebounds and 10 assists, picking up a triple-double coming off the Crimson Tide’s bench.
Allen Flanigan came off Ole Miss’ bench to score 28 points and grab six rebounds. Jaemyn Brakefield added 21 points and four rebounds. Matthew Murrell chipped in 10 points.
Alabama made just one of its first nine 3-point attempts before finishing 6-for-20 from deep in the first half. Ole Miss led at halftime, 42-39.
Ole Miss travels to Missouri Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.