In a highlight evening for the SEC, No. 21 Ole Miss was the largest winner on Tuesday.
Mississippi went into Alabama and knocked off the No. 4 Crimson Tide in a 74-64 stunner. The upset over the nation’s highest-scoring workforce highlighted a marquee evening within the SEC with three matchups of groups ranked within the high 25.
In Auburn, the top-ranked Tigers cruised to an 88-66 win over No. 21 Mississippi State regardless of enjoying with out injured star Johni Broome, who’s sidelined with what head coach Bruce Pearl deemed a “significant sprain.” In Lexington, No. 8 Kentucky held off No. 11 Texas A&M, 81-69. Then afterward Tuesday evening, unranked Missouri beat No. 5 Florida 83-82 in Gainesville. It marked simply the second lack of the season for the Gators.
Ole Miss stifles nation’s finest offense
However the evening within the SEC belonged to Ole Miss, which pulled off the win in a hostile highway surroundings. With their corresponding wins, Mississippi and Auburn each improved to 4-0 as the one remaining undefeated groups in SEC play. The win for Mississippi was the primary at school historical past over a top-5 workforce on the highway.
Alabama was in management early and opened up a 36-32 halftime lead. However junior ahead Malik Dia powered Mississippi with a 23-point, 19-rebound effort highlighted by a important and-1 putback late within the recreation. With Mississippi holding a 56-51 lead inside the ultimate eight minutes, Dia attacked Alabama’s Grant Nelson with a baseline drive.
Nelson met him on the rim and blocked his shot. However Dia gathered the rebound for an and-1 layup by an Alabama double workforce.
He made the free throw to quiet the Alabama crowd and preserve management of the sport for Mississippi. Alabama by no means threatened once more. And Ole Miss introduced itself as a menace in an SEC that options 5 top-10 groups and 9 ranked within the high 25.
Mississippi’s protection was the rationale why on Tuesday evening. Ole Miss held Alabama 27.1 factors beneath its NCAA-best scoring common of 91.1 factors per recreation. It compelled a Crimson Tide workforce that averaged 12.6 turnovers per recreation into 21 giveaways. And it restricted the Tide to 42.6% taking pictures from the sector and a 25% (5 of 20) effort from 3-point distance.
Because of the turnovers and limiting Alabama to 4 offensive rebounds, Mississippi secured a 70-47 benefit in field-goal makes an attempt. Ole Miss shot simply 38.6% (27 of 70) from the sector, nevertheless it did not matter as a result of it dominated the ball. Mississippi restricted Alabama to twenty-eight factors after halftime.
Mark Sears was the one Alabama starter to attain in double figures as he tallied 11 factors and 5 assists. He shot 2 of 8 from the sector and 1 of 4 from 3. Aden Holloway added 15 factors off the bench on a 5-of-6 effort from the sector, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to beat a poor scoring evening from Alabama’s starters.