Ole Miss lost to Texas A&M 80-77 in a men’s basketball game at Reed Arena on Wednesday night. Despite holding the lead for much of the contest, Ole Miss was unable to maintain its advantage in the final minutes.
The game began with both teams exchanging baskets until Texas A&M established an early 14-8 lead. Malik Dia contributed ten points in the first half, including six during an 11-4 run that gave Ole Miss its first lead at 20-18 with just under ten minutes left before halftime. The Rebels used their fastbreak opportunities, scoring 13 points on the break compared to none for Texas A&M, and entered halftime ahead 38-33.
In the second half, Patton Pinkins made a three-pointer that pushed Ole Miss to a 43-33 lead. AJ Storr added to his five first-half points by scoring another ten early in the second period. With Storr’s deep three-pointer from the top of the key, Ole Miss led 58-48 at the 12:38 mark.
As time wound down, Ole Miss still held a 77-71 lead with less than three minutes remaining. However, after a missed three-point attempt by Storr and a turnover on consecutive possessions, Texas A&M narrowed the gap with a corner three-pointer and then took advantage of an Ole Miss mistake to convert an and-one jumper, cutting it to one point. After missing a free throw but grabbing an offensive rebound, Texas A&M scored again and secured victory.
Storr finished as Ole Miss’ top scorer with 21 points; Dia had 20. Ilias Kamardine scored 12 while Pinkins added 11.
Ole Miss will next play against No. 11 Florida at home in Oxford on Saturday, February 21 at SJB Pavilion. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN starting at 11 a.m.
AJ Storr and Malik Dia each recorded their second straight game with at least twenty points. The team’s field goal percentage of nearly fifty-three percent was their best in Southeastern Conference games this season and their second-highest overall.
