In a thrilling encounter, Jaemyn Brakefield delivered all 19 of his points in the crucial final 11 minutes, sealing Mississippi’s victory over No. 4 Tennessee with a decisive shot just 7 seconds from the buzzer. Brakefield adeptly grabbed a missed three-pointer from Sean Pedulla and skillfully maneuvered through traffic to make the game-winning layup. Malik Dia and Dre Davis each contributed 13 points for Ole Miss, while Matthew Murrell supported with 12. Ole Miss’ impressive form continues, with a perfect 5-0 record in games decided by narrow margins of four points or less since late January.
Tennessee, now at a 24-6 record with an 11-6 mark in the Southeastern Conference, had a final chance to clinch victory. However, Igor Milicic Jr.’s last-second attempt at a short running jumper bounced off the rim, ending their winning streak at four games. Jordan Gainey led the Volunteers with 17 points, complemented by Chaz Lanier’s 15 and Felix Okpara’s 13 points, along with seven rebounds. Despite holding a lead of 41-36 at halftime and 56-49 with just over ten minutes remaining, Tennessee could not stave off Ole Miss’ comeback.
Analyzing the repercussions, Tennessee now has only one more game to secure a double bye for the SEC Tournament; however, this loss might be detrimental to their aspirations for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, in coach Chris Beard’s sophomore season, Ole Miss has forged a commendable reputation with notable wins against AP Top 25 teams from the SEC, ACC, and Big 12, ensuring a reserved spot with a single bye in the SEC Tournament.
The tipping point came with Ole Miss trailing by two points and then embarking on an 8-2 run capped by six points from Davis, achieving a lead of 74-70 with just 2:35 left and maintaining control for the remainder of the game. Throughout this exhilarating matchup, there were 12 lead changes and the score was tied 13 times. Tennessee executed 25 field goals with the assistance of 23 decisive passes, including 15 assists from Zakai Ziegler, whereas Ole Miss dominated the paint, outscoring the Volunteers 46-20.
Concluding the regular season on Saturday, Tennessee is set to host South Carolina, while Ole Miss will face off against No. 5 Florida on the road.
