Ole Miss' Chris Beard Breaks Down 'Lack of Aggression' in Loss to Mississippi State

Ole Miss basketball's Chris Beard broke down the pitfalls in the Rebels' 81-71 loss to Mississippi State.

Feb 15, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard reacts toward an official during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss basketball fell flat against rival No. 22 Mississippi State on Saturday, losing to the Bulldogs 81-71.

The Rebels were out-shot by 5 percent from the floor in a night where Ole Miss seemed to be getting out-muscled by the Bulldogs.

"I wish I could tell you I'm surprised, but I wasn't," said Rebels head coach Chris Beard in an interview postgame. "I think the four halves we played on the road, we were fortunate to win those games [A 72-70 win at LSU and a 72-68 win at South Carolina].

"I would agree with the players if they said they weren't the most agressive team tonight."

The lack of aggression certainly shone in the rebound department, with the Rebels being out-rebounded by the Bulldogs 48-36. Rebounds have been an issue for Ole Miss all season, with the team currently ranked 271st in the nation in rebounds, averaging just 33.76 rebounds per game.

"It was a huge issue. We got pounded on the glass," Beard said. "We had zero offensive rebounds in the first half. At times during the game, we were non-competitive on the glass."

Mississippi State fell behind by seven points during the beginning of the first half but would storm back to take a seven-point lead going into the intermission, never taking its foot off the gas. The Bulldogs seemed to be playing with more urgency than Ole Miss for the majority of the night

"I think that's a fair statement. It's hard for me as a coach to say that, but it's exactly what I told the guys after the game," Beard said. "Victory is going to favor the team that's more aggressive."

Despite the Rebels' last two games against teams ranked in the lower half of the SEC standings (LSU and South Carolina), the Rebels had their hands full, winning those two games by a combined six points. The SEC is a fight for survival, and Ole Miss cannot afford to lose momentum as it enters the final five games of the regular season.

Next up for Ole Miss is a trip to Nashville this coming Saturday to take on Vanderbilt. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on the SEC Network.