Ole Miss men’s basketball defeats Auburn 85-79 in hostile environment

AU BURN, Ala. — The Ole Miss men’s basketball team edged Auburn 85-79 Saturday night at Neville Arena, rallying in the second half to secure the victory. The Rebels led by five with just over a minute remaining after a alley-oop slam by James Scott, sealing the win.

Ole Miss (12-17, 4-12 SEC) started slow, trailing early until Patton Pinkins hit a three-pointer to give the Rebels a 10-9 lead. The teams traded the lead multiple times in the first half, with Ole Miss taking a 38-37 edge into halftime. Pinkins scored 11 points in the first half, while AJ Storr and Malik Dia added 10 each.

In the second half, Auburn surged ahead, building a 48-40 lead with just over 17 minutes remaining. Ole Miss responded with a 13-3 run to take a 53-51 lead. The Rebels maintained a lead through much of the final minutes, despite Auburn’s efforts to rally. A key three-pointer from Ilias Kamardine with under three minutes left put Ole Miss up by five, and Scott’s game-sealing dunk secured the victory.

Pinkins finished with a career-high 26 points, matching his personal best with four three-pointers. Storr also scored 26 points, marking his seventh 20-point game of the season. Eduardo Klafke grabbed eight rebounds, and James Scott had a season-best four blocks.

Ole Miss returns home to face No. 21 Vanderbilt on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the SJB Pavilion. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook, and Instagram for updates.

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