Rebels' Paint Power Falls Short Against Red Storm's Defensive Surge

The Ole Miss Rebels faced off against the St. John's Red Storm at Madison Square Garden, resulting in a 63-58 outcome favoring the home team. This game left the Rebels with a record of 0-1, while the Red Storm improved to 1-0.

First Half

In the opening half, both teams showcased their defensive prowess. The Rebels managed to score 25 points, largely driven by their ability to capitalize on points in the paint with an impressive 53 percent success rate. Malik Dia stood out with his strong performance under the basket, contributing significantly to this effort. However, St. John's countered effectively with their own defensive strategy, leading by 8 points at halftime.

Second Half

The second half saw Ole Miss intensifying their efforts as they added another 33 points to their tally. Ilias Kamardine played a crucial role during this period by scoring key baskets and maintaining an efficient shooting percentage from beyond the arc at 40 percent. Despite these efforts and a commendable bench contribution of 38 points overall for Ole Miss, St. John's maintained control through strategic steals and blocks that thwarted several Rebel advances.

Final Moments

As time dwindled down in New York City’s iconic venue, it was clear that turnovers were costly for Ole Miss; they committed a total of 20 throughout the game compared to St. John’s more disciplined playstyle which capitalized on these mistakes for additional scoring opportunities.

Despite falling short in this encounter against a ranked opponent like St. John's (23rd), there are positive takeaways for Coach Davis and his squad moving forward into future matchups as highlighted during his post-game reaction where he emphasized learning from such experiences.

Looking ahead after this intense battle between two competitive teams - fans can catch up next when Ole Miss takes on Southern Miss Golden Eagles scheduled December 13th at Mississippi Coast Coliseum starting around noon local time broadcast via SEC Network+.

For those who missed out or want further insights into how things unfolded here today – be sure not only check back often but also share your thoughts about what you think might happen next!