The Ole Miss basketball team has now won back-to-back matchups after losing four straight, with the latest victory coming against Alabama A&M by a score of 80-66 in Tupelo on Wednesday night.
Malik Dia had a season-high 27 points, while the Rebels (7-4) shot 54% from the floor as a team in the neutral-site showdown. Chris Beard’s team, for the most part, imposed its will, though the Bulldogs (6-5) made things a little interesting down the stretch.
Dia knocked down a trio of deep shots in the first 5 minutes of action, helping Ole Miss take a 16-8 lead. A 10-0 run by the Rebels midway through the half found the red and blue garnering a 30-17 advantage with 8:22 on the clock. While Ole Miss clicked offensively, Alabama A&M had some fortune from behind the arc to keep the game somewhat competitive. Bulldog guard Koron Davis hit a triple just before the half, and the Rebels took a 44-29 lead into the intermission.
A layup by Augusto Cassia gave Ole Miss a 22-point buffer early in the second half. The Rebels maintained a 20-plus-point lead until Sami Pissis hit a shot from deep to cut the deficit to 18 points with 6:59 left in the game. Pissis’ shot catalyzed a 12-2 run in favor of the Bulldogs over a 3-minute span.
With 3:07 remaining in regulation, Alabama A&M was within striking distance, only trailing 69-57. However, a timely 3-point play by Ole Miss guard Ilias Kamardine shifted momentum back in the Rebels’ direction. Ole Miss handled business from the free-throw line in the final moments of the game, even though the charity stripe had been an issue earlier in the matchup, and walked away with a 16-point win.
Joining Dia in double figures for Ole Miss was AJ Storr with 14 points. Kamardine neared a double-double with 9 points and 8 assists. Dia and Corey Chest led the team in rebounds with 7 apiece.
Alabama A&M had a triple-headed dragon on the scoreboard on Wednesday, with Pissis leading the way with 17 points. Kintavious Dozier put 15 on the board, while Davis scored 14. Dozier had a team-best 5 rebounds.
Though Ole Miss was better overall from the floor, knocking down a higher volume of field goals, Alabama A&M was solid from deep, hitting 50% of its shots from behind the arc. The Rebels won the rebounding and turnover battles, securing 3 more boards and coughing the ball up 3 fewer times than their opponent. Free throws were a problem for both squads. Ole Miss was 18-30, or 60%, from the charity stripe, while the Bulldogs were 13-20, or 65%, when given opportunities at the stripe.
Ole Miss will now hit the road and head to the East Coast for a third straight neutral-site contest, with the upcoming one taking place in Greensboro, N.C., versus NC State on Monday.