Patton Pinkins scores late, leads Ole Miss to victory over Mississippi State

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Patton Pinkins delivered again for Ole Miss on Saturday night, hitting a game-winning floater in the final minute to lift the Rebels to a 68-67 victory over Mississippi State at Humphrey Coliseum, according to the university.

Pinkins, who previously made a game-winning tip-in against Georgia, scored the final points after driving and faking his defender on the right baseline. His shot gave Ole Miss its third consecutive SEC victory, improving their record to 11-7 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

The Rebels fell behind early as Mississippi State jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Ilias Kamardine scored first for Ole Miss with a floater at 17:03, and Travis Perry added a three-pointer to close the gap to one. However, the Bulldogs built a 10-point lead, 22-11, before Ole Miss rallied to cut the deficit to three at halftime, 37-30.

In the second half, Ole Miss took its first lead of the game, 34-32, at 17:05. The game featured 13 lead changes, with both teams exchanging the advantage multiple times. Kamardine and AJ Storr led the Rebels with 17 points each, with Storr also contributing six rebounds and Kamardine adding five assists.

With 34 seconds remaining, Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard tied the game at 67 on two free throws. Pinkins responded shortly after, driving for a contested layup and hitting the game-winner with 19 seconds left. Ole Miss returns home Tuesday to face Auburn at 8 p.m. in the SJB Pavilion, broadcast on ESPN+.

Ole Miss shot 40.8% from the field and 80% from the free-throw line, while holding Mississippi State to 36.9% shooting and 60.9% at the line. The Rebels also limited turnovers to five, their fewest this season. Malik Dia contributed 8 points and tied his season best with 11 rebounds.

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