NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Ole Miss Rebels’ quest for a Southeastern Conference tournament title came to an end on Friday, but their NCAA tournament aspirations remain very much alive. The No. 8 seed Rebels (22-11) fell to the No. 1 seed Auburn Tigers (28-4) by a score of 62-57 in a nail-biting quarterfinal matchup at Bridgestone Arena.
Despite the loss, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was effusive in his praise for the Rebels, suggesting that they have the potential to make some noise in the NCAA tournament. “I just want to congratulate Ole Miss on a great season so far,” Pearl said. “That team is capable in the NCAA tournament of making some noise. They’re an older team; pretty good group of veterans and they obviously play the right way.”
Pearl’s comments were echoed by Auburn guard Denver Jones, who acknowledged that the Rebels presented a formidable challenge. “Ole Miss is a tough team to play,” Jones said. “Just the way they guard and play the right offense.”
The Rebels, led by second-year coach Chris Beard, are expected to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament when the bracket is revealed on Sunday. It would mark Ole Miss’ first NCAA tournament appearance since 2019.
Friday’s game was a far cry from the Rebels’ previous meeting with Auburn, which resulted in a 30-point drubbing on February 26. This time around, Ole Miss pushed the Tigers to the limit, trimming the deficit to just three points with 38 seconds remaining. However, Auburn’s Johni Broome delivered the dagger, sinking a crucial layup to seal the win for the Tigers.
Despite the disappointing loss, the Rebels can take heart in their strong performance against one of the nation’s top teams. With their NCAA tournament fate all but assured, Ole Miss will now turn its attention to preparing for the Big Dance.
