Texas Longhorns vs Ole Miss Rebels: Did turnovers and paint points decide Bridgestone Arena?

The Texas Longhorns entered the neutral-site game at Bridgestone Arena with a 66-76 setback to the Ole Miss Rebels in the Conference Tournaments, leaving the Longhorns at 0-1 and the Rebels at 1-0. The Texas Longhorns vs Ole Miss Rebels final score reflected Ole Miss leading from the opening half and holding Texas to 66 points.

First half

The Texas Longhorns scored 30 in the first half while the Rebels put up 41 behind 50 points in the paint for the game. Texas shot 35 percent from the field in the game, and Ole Miss finished at 47 percent while also going 29-for-54 on 2-point attempts. The Horns created 12 assists but committed 13 turnovers, and the Rebels answered with 12 steals and just 3 turnovers. Ole Miss took advantage of those possessions with 13 points off turnovers, while Texas finished with 0 points off giveaways.

Second half

The Longhorns lifted their output to 36 in the second half and leaned on 7 made 3-pointers on 35 percent shooting from deep. Texas also generated 25 free-throw attempts and converted 84 percent at the line, with 21 made free throws keeping the game within reach. Ole Miss countered by continuing to score inside, finishing with 18 points in the paint for Texas compared to 50 for the Rebels. The Rebels also got 24 bench points, while Texas received 5 bench points as the Horns tried to close the gap without ever taking a lead.

Closing possessions

Texas won the rebounding battle 35-34 and produced 11 second-chance points, but the Rebels’ biggest lead reached 13 as the Landsharks protected the lane and limited Texas to 35 percent on 2-point shots. Ole Miss added 11 fast-break points, while Texas had 6 in transition as the game stayed tilted toward the Rebels’ pace. The Texas Longhorns vs Ole Miss Rebels turning point showed up in the turnover margin, with the Rebels’ 12 steals feeding their scoring burst.

Key performers and team notes

Dailyn Swain’s previous-game line of 22 points and 12 rebounds set the tone for Burnt Orange production, and Jordan Pope’s 16 points highlighted perimeter creation from the current roster group. Texas also carried over interior rim protection, with Simeon Wilcher posting 3 blocks in the previous game while the team recorded 6 blocks in this matchup. The Texas Longhorns match rating hinged on ball security and paint finishing, with Texas at a 0.92 assist-to-turnover ratio compared to Ole Miss at 3.0. The Texas Longhorns final whistle reaction came with Texas outscoring Ole Miss 36-35 after halftime but still trailing on paint scoring and turnovers at the horn.