Dec 21, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers guard PJ Haggerty (4) drives to the basket towards the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the course of the first half at FedExForum. Necessary Credit score: Wesley Hale-Imagn Pictures Ole Miss carries an 11-1 file into its pre-conference finale at Memphis on Saturday.
The No. 16 Rebels have received 5 video games in a row since a two-point loss to then-No. 13 Purdue late final month, their solely blemish thus far.
Ole Miss was not at its finest within the newest outing, an 80-62 victory towards Queens final Saturday, however that final result did show the flexibility that the Rebels have developed within the buildup towards Southeastern Convention play.
Three-point taking pictures has been a major a part of the group’s success, however the Rebels had a sub-par efficiency towards Queens. They rank sixth within the SEC in each 3-pointers made per sport (9.4) and 3-point taking pictures accuracy (36.3 %), however towards Queens they shot 7 of 27 (25.9 %).
“How do you win a basketball sport on an evening the place the pictures aren’t taking place?” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard stated. “You have to discover one other class.”
For the Rebels, that class was field-goal makes an attempt. They took 14 extra pictures than the Royals and wound up with eight extra discipline targets. A key to that benefit was ball safety, as Ole Miss dedicated simply eight turnovers to Queens’ 21. The Rebels logged 11 steals, in step with their common of 10.4 steals per sport (tied for eighth within the nation).
“That gave us extra pictures than our opponent,” Beard stated of the regular ballhandling.
When the 3-pointers weren’t falling, Ole Miss began getting the ball inside and completed with a 42-24 benefit in factors within the paint.
“That sort of opened issues up for us,” stated guard Sean Pedulla, who led the Rebels with 25 factors and made 9 of 14 field-goal makes an attempt.
Ole Miss is aware of overcoming a selected weak point will not be as simple towards Memphis (9-3) or when SEC play begins subsequent week.
The Tigers are taking part in their last pre-league sport earlier than opening American Athletic Convention motion subsequent week. They’re coming off a 79-66 house loss towards Mississippi State on Dec. 21.
The back-to-back video games towards SEC groups comes on the finish of a nonconference schedule that additionally featured Missouri, UConn, Michigan State, Auburn, Clemson and Virginia. The Tigers are 5-2 towards power-conference foes.
“We requested for this schedule,” Memphis coach Penny Hardaway stated. “We will need to cope with it.”
Hardaway stated, as he did after earlier losses to Auburn and Arkansas State, “This one loss is not going to outline who we’re as a result of it is about your entire season.”
However, he stated the one disappointing factor in regards to the defeat towards Mississippi State was, “I did not really feel like we fought as arduous as we may have. … We have simply received to continue to grow and be taught from each sport that we lose.”
Memphis ranks tenth within the nation in 3-point taking pictures accuracy (40.5 %), however the Tigers have made simply 26 % (13 of fifty) from lengthy vary of their previous two video games.
Because the Tigers attempt to finalize their rotation and roles coming into convention play, Hardaway acknowledged, “We’re taking part in a number of guys a ton of minutes.”
Eight Memphis gamers are seeing double-digit taking part in time. The group’s prime three scorers — PJ Haggerty (22.5 factors per sport), Tyrese Hunter (15.9 ppg) and Colby Rogers (11.6 ppg) — are averaging 37.0, 35.3 and 31.8 minutes, respectively.
–Discipline Stage Media
