How It Happened: Ole Miss Basketball's Late Surge Not Enough in 78-66 Loss To Auburn

Chris Beard and Co. fall to the Tigers in Oxford, move to 3-3 in SEC play with the loss.

Jan 20, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard AJ Storr (2) drives to the basket as Auburn Tigers forward Sebastian Williams-Adams (33) defends during the second half at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss men's basketball came up short down the stretch as Auburn escaped with a 78-66 win in the SJB Pavilion on Tuesday night.

After jumping out in front to a quick 5-2 lead at the 18:36 mark, Ole Miss (11-8, 3-3 SEC) would trail Auburn (12-7, 3-3 SEC) for the next 10:54 of play. It wasn't until Ilias Kamardine drove down the lane for a layup to put Ole Miss back in front, 19-17 at the 7:42 mark in the first half.

The Tigers would immediately respond with an 8-0 run to halt the Rebels' advance, as the visitors led 26-19 with just under four minutes left to play in the first half. However, Travis Perry and Kamardine closed out the half each with a made three-pointer, getting Ole Miss within two, down 28-27 at the half.

In the second period, Auburn would break away to a 13-point lead, 62-49 at the 6:24 mark.

The Rebels would battle back late to get within striking distance, down five 69-64 with under two minutes left to play. However, on Auburn's following offensive possession, they would break the Rebels defense for a fastbreak dunk to put the home team away.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Basketball.

Ole Miss will hit the road to face off against Kentucky on Saturday, January 24, at 11 a.m. in Rupp Arena and broadcast on ESPN as the program returns to action following Tuesday's loss to the Tigers in Oxford.

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

• AJ Storr led Ole Miss with 18 points tonight and is now averaging 22 points over the past four games.
• Travis Perry connected on five makes from three, tying his career-best set earlier this season against NC State.
• With 15 points tonight, freshman Patton Pinkins has hit double figures in the scoring column in eight games, including four SEC matches.

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