Stevn Tyler, the lead singer of the hit rock band Aerosmith, once sang, “It’s the same old story, same old song and dance,” and that would accurately sum up the Ole Miss men’s basketball team during an eight-game losing streak, the worst stint by a Chris Beard-led group. On Wednesday, the Rebels led for a majority of a conference showdown at Texas A&M, but were ultimately the victims of a late scoring run by the Aggies and an 80-77 loss.
Texas A&M (18-8, 8-5 SEC) had four players with double digits on the scoreboard, with big man Rashaun Agee’s 17 points and 10 rebounds leading that effort. Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC) was led in scoring by veterans AJ Storr and Malik Dia, who had 21 and 20 points, respectively. Dia, however, had to exit to the locker room with an injury late in the second half.
Both teams traded baskets for the first seven minutes of the first half, with Texas A&M eventually separating, leading 14-8. Dia scored 10 points in the opening frame, including six points of an 11-4 run, which propelled the Rebels to their first lead, 20-18, with just under 10 minutes remaining until the midway break. From there, Ole Miss kept its foot on the pedal and took a 38-33 lead into halftime.
A Patton Pinkins triple put Ole Miss up 10 early in the second half, and Storr began to heat up for the Rebels, helping the visitors stave off any attempt by the home Aggies to battle back. With 12:38 remaining in regulation, Ole Miss led 58-48. The red and blue held on to the 10-plus-point scoreboard advantage for the next five minutes. With just over six minutes left in action, a five-point swing favoring the Aggies shifted momentum in Texas A&M’s favor.
Keeping the momentum alive, Aggie guard Rubén Dominguez drew a foul on a missed 3-point shot, but made all three free throws to trail 75-71 at the 4:01 mark. A layup by Storr on the Rebels’ next possession countered the Aggie surge, but was also the last bucket Ole Miss would amass. Texas A&M capitalized on its opponent’s scoring drought, and the absence of Dia, with a 9-0 run to close things out.
The Rebels shot better than their SEC opponent, connecting on 53% of field goals compared to the Aggies’ 48% make rate. Nonetheless, Bucky McMillan’s team was dominant in the paint on the offensive glass, creating good looks at the rim and second-chance opportunities. Texas A&M had 16 more points in the paint and 14 more second-chance points than its conference counterpart.
Next up for Ole Miss is a home battle against a red-hot No. 11 Florida team that has won its last six matchups. The game will tip off from the SJB Pavilion on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT, with ESPN and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations handling the broadcast.