Auburn's NCAA Tournament Hopes Up in Smoke after Losing to Ole Miss

AUBURN, Ala. – Tahaad Pettiford and Keyshawn Hall combined for 45 points, but Ole Miss made 10 3-pointers and defeated Auburn 85-79 Saturday at Neville Arena.

“Really disappointed. I apologize to our fans who have been so phenomenal all year,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “They deserve better from us.”

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Pettiford scored 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, adding four rebounds and three assists. Hall scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds, making 9 of 10 free throws.

Elyjah Freeman scored 15 points with six rebounds, and Kevin Overton added 10 points.

Trailing by one at the half, Auburn got 3-pointers from Freeman and Overton and a 3-point play from Pettiford to take an eight-point lead with 17:16 to play.

“We had an opportunity to extend the lead, and both times we had empty possessions offensively,” Pearl said. “They took advantage of it.”

Ole Miss took control from there, hitting four 3-pointers over the next 10 minutes while outscoring Auburn 27-7 to take a 12-point lead on AJ Storr’s 3 with 7:32 remaining.

“We understood what Auburn was playing for tonight, but we had great purpose in our locker room as well,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said. “Tonight, we got some timely rim protection. It’s a good team win for Ole Miss.”

The Tigers cut 10 points off that deficit over the next four minutes thanks to 3-pointers from Hall and Pettiford, trimming the Rebels’ lead to 71-69 on a pair of free throws from Freeman at the 3:20 mark.

Needing a stop to have a chance to tie or take the lead, Auburn saw Ilias Kamardine make the Rebels' final 3-pointer to put Ole Miss in front by five with 2:57 to go. Ole Miss shot 40 percent from 3-point range, making 10-of-25.

Pettiford grabbed a defensive rebound and drove coast-to-coast, drawing a foul on a layup but missing a free throw that would’ve made it a two-point game with 2:20 on the clock.

The Rebels made nine free throws in the final two minutes to secure the victory, ending a 10-game losing streak.

Hall scored 10 points in the first half to help the Tigers overcome a cold start.

Ole Miss freshman Patton Pinkins went 3-for-3 from 3-point range in the first half to help the visitors take an early lead.

“It’s a team that makes four 3s a game, and they make 10,” Pearl said. “They made shots early, and that gives them confidence throughout the rest of the game.”

Pinkins and Storr each scored 26 points for Ole Miss (12-17, 4-12).

Pettiford made a steal and drove for an emphatic right-handed dunk that tied the score at 13-13.

The Rebels started hot, making 5 of 6 3-point attempts before cooling off.

After Auburn missed its first seven long-range shots, Overton made the Tigers’ first 3-pointer with 7:21 remaining.

Freeman hit a step-back 3 and Filip Jovic made a spinning layup to cap a 9-0 run that gave Auburn a six-point lead, forcing an Ole Miss timeout with 4:42 left in the half.

Hall’s 3-pointer pushed the Tigers’ lead to seven before Ole Miss ended the half on an 8-0 run, making its last six shots to lead 38-37 at intermission.

Auburn (15-14, 6-10) plays its final home game Tuesday when LSU visits Neville Arena at 9 p.m. CT on SEC Network and the Auburn Sports Network.

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer