Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Upsets No. 15 Alabama in SEC Tournament, Advances to Semifinals

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ole Miss men’s basketball defeated No. 15 Alabama 80-79 Friday night at Bridgestone Arena to advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals. The Rebels, now 15-19 overall and 4-14 in the SEC, outlasted the Tide in a game that was decided in the final seconds.

Ole Miss led for most of the game and built a 47-41 halftime advantage. The Rebels extended their lead to 66-62 with nine minutes remaining but faced a late Alabama rally. A dunk by Aiden Sherrell pulled Alabama within one point with 1:42 left.

In the final minute, Ole Miss’s Ilias Kamardine missed a jumper, and Alabama’s Aiden Sherrell attempted a game-tying shot that was blocked by Ole Miss. An Alabama half-court heave at the buzzer was off target, sealing the Rebels’ victory.

Ole Miss’s win marks its first SEC Tournament semifinal appearance since 2013 and only the third time the team has won three games in the conference tournament. The Rebels have now gone through three SEC Tournament games without trailing in 120 minutes of play.

The Rebels will face either Arkansas or Oklahoma in Saturday’s semifinal at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. Ole Miss is seeking its first SEC title since 2013 and will aim for a historic run in the tournament, which they have not achieved since their 2013 championship.

Source: Original Article