Coach Kermit Davis and basketball Ole Miss are on the rise and are looking to extend their winning streak to four games in South Carolina.
To say that Ole Miss basketball is on the rise is really an understatement. The rebels (12-8, 7-6) entered the game in Columbia, South Carolina with a three-game winning streak. The Rebels also entered the game as one of the SEC’s hottest teams. However, this did not happen overnight. Yes, the rebels already had a great defense, but they needed to find an attack to win games consistently.
Coach Kermit Davis and the rebels met him four games ago. The rebels first had a major victory over Tennessee and then a stunning victory against Missouri. Both teams were ranked 10th in the country at the time. There was also a win in extra time at Auburn. The rebels wanted to extend the streak of three straight wins and did so away from home in South Carolina (5-8, 3-7) with a good 81-74 win. OHT looks at the rebels’ latest victories in numbers.
By the numbers
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This was a well-deserved victory for Ole Miss basketball. The rebels controlled the game at the start with a tough defense and led 36-28 at halftime. In the second half, the rebels maintained control with great shots. However, the Gamecocks managed to beat the Rebels by 46-45 in the second half. Still, it was not enough to stop the rebels from winning the game.
As a team, the rebels hit 22 out of 44 or 50.0% of the field, while South Carolina hit 23 out of 57 or 40.4% from within the arc. In addition to the hoop, the Rebels fired 3 out of 10 or 30.0%, while South Carolina fired a little better, making 6 out of 18 or 33.3% in the three-point range. The rebels were 34 out of 44 or 77.3% of the free throw line and the Gamecocks hit 22 out of 29 or 75.9% of the charity range.
The rebels had 30 rebounds while the Gamecocks had 31. The rebels scored 11 second chance points on 7 offensive plates. The Gamecocks scored just 8 second-chance shots in 11 offensive rebounds. Ole Miss made 20 spins while the Gamecocks had 19 gifts.
The rebels scored 19 points in the turns, while South Carolina scored 21 points in the turns. Ole Miss scored 22 points in the painting while the Gamecocks scored 22 points in the painting. The rebels had 17 points on the bench, while the Gamecocks had 30 points on the bench.
Devontae Shuler played a great game leading all the top scorers with 31 points, the highest of his career. Shuler also had 2 blocks, 2 steals, 4 assists and 7 bags. Romello White followed with 14 points, 1 assist and 5 rebounds. KJ Buffen was the next player to score in the double digits with 12 points from the bench. Buffen also had 1 steal, 2 assists and 4 rebounds.
Robert Allen was next with 7 points and 3 rebounds. Jarkel Joiner and Luis Rodriguez scored 6 points each. Joiner added 3 steals, 1 assist and 4 rebounds, while Rodriguez had 3 steals, 1 assist and 3 rebounds. Sammy Hunter scored 3 points with 1 assist and 1 rebound. Austin Crowley had 2 points and 2 rebounds. Matthew Murrell added 2 steals, 1 assist and 1 rebound.
This was a solid road victory for the rebels and a career night for Devontae Shuler. According to OleMissSports.com,
“It means a lot. I never won here. I just crashed because I knew this would be my last game here and for my team and family in the stands. I did what I did to make them happy.” ~ Devontae Shuler
It was also a big win for coach Kermit Davis and a confidence builder for a team that has shown many improvements in the last four games. According to OleMissSports.com,
“Whenever you can win on the road in this league, it’s great. Our team showed a lot of balance. Very proud of our team. ”~ Coach Kermit Davis
With only five regular season games remaining before the SEC Tournament, every game matters. The next five games don’t get any easier, but the rebels will play three out of five at home in Oxford.
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Next for the rebels are the LSU Tigers. The delivery of the Pavilion in Oxford is scheduled for 20h00 CT and the game can be seen on ESPNU. Good luck training Caco Davis and the rebels. As always, stay safe and Hotty Toddy!