OXFORD — Ole Miss blew an 11-point second-half lead Saturday, dropping a crushing 76-72 loss to Arkansas in front of 8,233 fans at The Pavilion.
Arkansas (13-2 overall, 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference) closed the game on a 24-12 run. Isaiah Joe did most of the Razorbacks’ damage, scoring 26 of his game-high 34 points in the second half.
Ole Miss (9- 6, 0-2) got 27 points from Breein Tyree in a losing effort. Three other Rebels scored in double-figures.
Here are 10 observations from the Rebels’ loss to the Razorbacks:
1. Arkansas took the lead with 2:33 left on a pair of free throws from Joe and extended it to four when Joe pickpocketed Tyree and drove for a layup on the other end. Sy’s outback on a Hinson miss with 1:42 left cut the Razorbacks’ lead to just two points.
After a missed 3-pointer from Joe, Ole Miss called timeout with 1:10 left. Tyree’s runner was short, but Mason Jones turned the ball over on Arkansas’ subsequent possession, giving the Rebels another chance with 41.2 seconds left. Blake Hinson missed a jumper, but KJ Buffen grabbed the rebound.
That marked Ole Miss’ last best chance. Buffen turned the ball over seconds later and Arkansas was perfect from the free throw line in the final seconds to preserve the win.
2. Arkansas trailed 64-56 with seven minutes left when Joe hit a 3-pointer with 6:03 left to cut the Rebels’ lead to five. Joe knocked down another trey with 5:34 left. Blake Hinson committed a foul on the play, sending Adrio Bailey to the line for a pair of free throws. Just like that, Ole Miss’ lead was gone. So was momentum.
3. Ole Miss was 25-for-26 from the free throw line. Arkansas stayed in the game by shooting well from the stripe also. The Hogs were 22-for-27 at the charity stripe.
4. Once again, Tyree played with dogged determination on the offensive end. Tyree talked Friday about having to be more of a leader, and on Saturday, he backed up those words with his actions. Tyree didn’t just settle for perimeter looks either. He drove to the rim, used his mid-range game as a threat and limited his tendency to over-dribble. Tyree often matched up with Mason Jones, so he had his hands full on the defensive end as well. On Saturday, he didn’t let missed shots distract him on defense.
5. This Ole Miss team is just different when Hinson and Buffen aren’t wallflowers. I realize that’s an obvious statement, but in losses to Wichita State and Texas A&M, neither of Ole Miss’ sophomores were even remotely impactful. In fact, both played passively and didn’t contribute much of anything. When that happens, Ole Miss is far too reliant on Tyree and, frankly, just not very good. On Saturday, both Hinson and Buffen were active on both ends, turning the Rebels into a much more dangerous club. Hinson had 13 points and five rebounds. Buffen had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
6. However, at the end of the game, both Hinson and Buffen struggled. Defensive lapses, missed shots, turnovers. Those were killers in a game that Ole Miss gave away.
7. I loved most of Devontae Shuler’s game Saturday. He had 10 points and 11 rebounds, but he missed all four of his 3-point attempts and had just two assists. However, Shuler played 36 minutes, and he looked tired at the end.
8. Therein lies Ole Miss’ problem. On Saturday, Ole Miss had just six assists. Arkansas, on the other hand, had 13. In clutch time, Ole Miss just doesn’t have enough players who can get a bucket. Austin Crowley played 14 minutes. Franco Miller played 24. Neither scored. Crowley had two assists. Otherwise, those were empty minutes.
9. Joe is lauded by many as a potential first-round NBA Draft selection in June. He showed why on Saturday. The Arkansas guard can score in bunches and has real range on the perimeter. If he lands on the right NBA roster, he can carve out some minutes on the next level. The Hogs’ lack of size inside is going to limit their ceiling. Days after just getting killed on the glass at LSU in a two-point loss, Arkansas was out-rebounded by Ole Miss, 40-28.
10. Ole Miss travels to Florida Tuesday. The Rebels return home next Saturday to face LSU.
Arkansas (13-2 overall, 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference) closed the game on a 24-12 run. Isaiah Joe did most of the Razorbacks’ damage, scoring 26 of his game-high 34 points in the second half.
Ole Miss (9- 6, 0-2) got 27 points from Breein Tyree in a losing effort. Three other Rebels scored in double-figures.
Here are 10 observations from the Rebels’ loss to the Razorbacks:
1. Arkansas took the lead with 2:33 left on a pair of free throws from Joe and extended it to four when Joe pickpocketed Tyree and drove for a layup on the other end. Sy’s outback on a Hinson miss with 1:42 left cut the Razorbacks’ lead to just two points.
After a missed 3-pointer from Joe, Ole Miss called timeout with 1:10 left. Tyree’s runner was short, but Mason Jones turned the ball over on Arkansas’ subsequent possession, giving the Rebels another chance with 41.2 seconds left. Blake Hinson missed a jumper, but KJ Buffen grabbed the rebound.
That marked Ole Miss’ last best chance. Buffen turned the ball over seconds later and Arkansas was perfect from the free throw line in the final seconds to preserve the win.
2. Arkansas trailed 64-56 with seven minutes left when Joe hit a 3-pointer with 6:03 left to cut the Rebels’ lead to five. Joe knocked down another trey with 5:34 left. Blake Hinson committed a foul on the play, sending Adrio Bailey to the line for a pair of free throws. Just like that, Ole Miss’ lead was gone. So was momentum.
3. Ole Miss was 25-for-26 from the free throw line. Arkansas stayed in the game by shooting well from the stripe also. The Hogs were 22-for-27 at the charity stripe.
4. Once again, Tyree played with dogged determination on the offensive end. Tyree talked Friday about having to be more of a leader, and on Saturday, he backed up those words with his actions. Tyree didn’t just settle for perimeter looks either. He drove to the rim, used his mid-range game as a threat and limited his tendency to over-dribble. Tyree often matched up with Mason Jones, so he had his hands full on the defensive end as well. On Saturday, he didn’t let missed shots distract him on defense.
5. This Ole Miss team is just different when Hinson and Buffen aren’t wallflowers. I realize that’s an obvious statement, but in losses to Wichita State and Texas A&M, neither of Ole Miss’ sophomores were even remotely impactful. In fact, both played passively and didn’t contribute much of anything. When that happens, Ole Miss is far too reliant on Tyree and, frankly, just not very good. On Saturday, both Hinson and Buffen were active on both ends, turning the Rebels into a much more dangerous club. Hinson had 13 points and five rebounds. Buffen had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
6. However, at the end of the game, both Hinson and Buffen struggled. Defensive lapses, missed shots, turnovers. Those were killers in a game that Ole Miss gave away.
7. I loved most of Devontae Shuler’s game Saturday. He had 10 points and 11 rebounds, but he missed all four of his 3-point attempts and had just two assists. However, Shuler played 36 minutes, and he looked tired at the end.
8. Therein lies Ole Miss’ problem. On Saturday, Ole Miss had just six assists. Arkansas, on the other hand, had 13. In clutch time, Ole Miss just doesn’t have enough players who can get a bucket. Austin Crowley played 14 minutes. Franco Miller played 24. Neither scored. Crowley had two assists. Otherwise, those were empty minutes.
9. Joe is lauded by many as a potential first-round NBA Draft selection in June. He showed why on Saturday. The Arkansas guard can score in bunches and has real range on the perimeter. If he lands on the right NBA roster, he can carve out some minutes on the next level. The Hogs’ lack of size inside is going to limit their ceiling. Days after just getting killed on the glass at LSU in a two-point loss, Arkansas was out-rebounded by Ole Miss, 40-28.
10. Ole Miss travels to Florida Tuesday. The Rebels return home next Saturday to face LSU.
