The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, March 13
Nashville, Tenn.
6 p.m.
Ole Miss
15-19,4-14SEC
80
vs
79
Alabama
23-9,13-5SEC
1st half1
2nd half2
FinalF
Ole Miss
47
33
80
Alabama
41
38
79
Men’s Basketball Continues Run at SEC Tournament, Outlasts No. 15 Alabama to Move to Semifinals
3/13/2026 | Men's Basketball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Ole Miss men's basketball team managed to survive a half-court heave at the buzzer, defeating tournament two-seed No. 15 Alabama 80-79 on Friday night at Bridgestone Arena. The Rebels are now lined up for a semifinal battle against the winner of No. 17 Arkansas and Oklahoma on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
With just over one minute left to play, a turnaround jumper by Ole Miss's Ilias Kamardine made it a five-point game, leading to a timeout by Ole Miss. Coming out of the break, Alabama would score a layup to cut Ole Miss's lead to three, 80-77, with 52 seconds remaining.
Following another timeout, Kamardine would miss another jumper attempt, leading to an Alabama rebound before drawing a foul. A pair of free throws from the Tide made it a one-point game with 13 seconds left.
Ole Miss's Eduardo Klafke was fouled with nine seconds on the board and went to the line for a one-and-one opportunity. Missing the first free throw, Alabama's Aiden Sherrell would attempt a game-winning bucket before it was blocked by Ole Miss.
An Alabama half-court shot as the clock hit zeros wouldn't fall.
To open the game, Ole Miss (15-19, 4-14 SEC) struck first with back-to-back threes from Malik Dia on its first two possessions.
Alabama (23-9, 13-5 SEC) quickly climbed back to knot the game at 14-all at the 13:45 mark, before Ole Miss hit seven consecutive field goals to go up 33-22 with under nine minutes left in the first half.
Over the next five minutes of action, the Rebels would maintain a double-digit lead. Despite Alabama getting within five points down the stretch, Ole Miss would manage to secure a 47-41 lead at the midway break.
The second half started like the first, with Ole Miss's Travis Perry burying a three-pointer on its opening possession. The Rebels would build back up to a 63-50 advantage through the first seven minutes after Eduardo Klafke cashed in his second three-pointer of the half.
However, Alabama stormed back, cutting Ole Miss's lead to 66-62, causing Ole Miss to call a timeout with nine minutes remaining. Coming out of the timeout, Ole Miss's Ilias Kamardine would knock down a three-pointer. Alabama would respond by knocking down a pair of free throws and get a defensive stop, leading to a three-pointer on its next possession to cut Ole Miss's lead to 69-66 with under seven to play.
Kamardine would come back down on the Rebels' next possession and score a floater, putting the Rebels back up five, 71-66 at the 6:27 mark.
With 1:42 remaining, Alabama's Aiden Sherell scored a dunk to put the team back within one possession, 78-75. The thrilling final sequence would see Ole Miss seal the victory, sending the team to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the first time since their 2013 SEC Championship run.
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.
NOTABLES
With just over one minute left to play, a turnaround jumper by Ole Miss's Ilias Kamardine made it a five-point game, leading to a timeout by Ole Miss. Coming out of the break, Alabama would score a layup to cut Ole Miss's lead to three, 80-77, with 52 seconds remaining.
Following another timeout, Kamardine would miss another jumper attempt, leading to an Alabama rebound before drawing a foul. A pair of free throws from the Tide made it a one-point game with 13 seconds left.
Ole Miss's Eduardo Klafke was fouled with nine seconds on the board and went to the line for a one-and-one opportunity. Missing the first free throw, Alabama's Aiden Sherrell would attempt a game-winning bucket before it was blocked by Ole Miss.
An Alabama half-court shot as the clock hit zeros wouldn't fall.
To open the game, Ole Miss (15-19, 4-14 SEC) struck first with back-to-back threes from Malik Dia on its first two possessions.
Alabama (23-9, 13-5 SEC) quickly climbed back to knot the game at 14-all at the 13:45 mark, before Ole Miss hit seven consecutive field goals to go up 33-22 with under nine minutes left in the first half.
Over the next five minutes of action, the Rebels would maintain a double-digit lead. Despite Alabama getting within five points down the stretch, Ole Miss would manage to secure a 47-41 lead at the midway break.
The second half started like the first, with Ole Miss's Travis Perry burying a three-pointer on its opening possession. The Rebels would build back up to a 63-50 advantage through the first seven minutes after Eduardo Klafke cashed in his second three-pointer of the half.
However, Alabama stormed back, cutting Ole Miss's lead to 66-62, causing Ole Miss to call a timeout with nine minutes remaining. Coming out of the timeout, Ole Miss's Ilias Kamardine would knock down a three-pointer. Alabama would respond by knocking down a pair of free throws and get a defensive stop, leading to a three-pointer on its next possession to cut Ole Miss's lead to 69-66 with under seven to play.
Kamardine would come back down on the Rebels' next possession and score a floater, putting the Rebels back up five, 71-66 at the 6:27 mark.
With 1:42 remaining, Alabama's Aiden Sherell scored a dunk to put the team back within one possession, 78-75. The thrilling final sequence would see Ole Miss seal the victory, sending the team to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the first time since their 2013 SEC Championship run.
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.
NOTABLES
- This marks the third time Ole Miss has won three games at the SEC Tournament, with the other two coming during their title runs in 1981 and 2013.
- Ole Miss has never trailed in their three games at the 2026 SEC Tournament across 120 minutes of action.
- This marks just the second time a double-digit seed has won three games at the SEC Tournament, with the previous time coming from 13-seeded Auburn in 2015.
- With 10 rebounds tonight, James Scott has pulled in 32 boards at the SEC Tournament, needing just three more to enter the top-10 for most rebounds in a single tournament.
Team Stats
UM
UA
FG%
.463
.406
3FG%
.421
.310
FT%
.667
.720
RB
42
36
TO
9
5
STL
3
5
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
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