Ole Miss Rebels Edge Past Arkansas Razorbacks in a Nail-Biter at Bridgestone Arena

In a closely contested Southeastern Conference Tournament second-round game, the Ole Miss Rebels secured a victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks with an 83-80 final score. This win improves the Rebels' season record, showcasing their resilience and tactical execution on the court. The game, held at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, was a testament to both teams' determination, but it was the Rebels who ultimately clinched the win.

Key Moments and Player Highlights

The Ole Miss Rebels showcased their offensive capabilities by scoring 83 points against a tough Arkansas defense. Malik Dia stood out with an impressive performance of 19 points and eight rebounds, demonstrating his critical role in securing this victory for his team. His shooting accuracy was remarkable, hitting 88 percent from the field and being perfect from beyond the arc.

Jaylen Murray also made significant contributions with 17 points and five assists. His ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates played a pivotal role in maintaining momentum for Ole Miss throughout the game. Murray's performance underscored his importance as both a scorer and facilitator on this team.

On defense, Matthew Murrell's efforts were notable with two steals and one block, contributing to Ole Miss's ability to disrupt Arkansas's offensive flow. The team collectively tallied twelve steals compared to Arkansas’s nine, highlighting their defensive agility.

Arkansas Razorbacks’ Standout Performances

Despite falling short in this matchup, the Razorbacks displayed commendable effort on both ends of the floor. They managed to keep pace with Ole Miss throughout most of the game thanks partly to their bench contributing 32 points. Their biggest lead was eight points during playtime which indicates that they were very much in contention until the final moments.

Arkansas excelled in fast-break situations scoring eleven fast break points which kept pressure on Ole Miss’s defense consistently. However, turnovers proved costly for them as they gave up fifteen turnovers leading to fourteen points off turnovers for Ole Miss.

Looking Ahead

The next challenge awaiting Ole Miss is against Auburn Tigers at Bridgestone Arena scheduled for March 14th at 1:00 PM EDT. Fans can catch all action live on ESPN as both teams vie for advancement in what promises be another exciting matchup within conference tournaments landscape.