SEC Tournament Results: Ole Miss Basketball Takes Down Georgia in Strong 76-72 Win

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A one-possession game after a second-half comeback from Georgia, the Ole Miss men's basketball team rallied late to secure its second win at the 2026 SEC Tournament, defeating the Bulldogs 76-72 on Thursday night in Bridgestone Arena.

The Rebels are now lined up for a quarterfinal battle against the tournament's two seed, No. 15 Alabama on Friday evening.

With five seconds left, a dunk by Georgia made it a two-point game, leading to a timeout by the Bulldogs. After catching the inbound pass and drawing a foul, Kezza Giffa connected on a free throw, making it 74-71 with three seconds to play.

An Ole Miss foul on the ensuing possession sent the Bulldogs to the line, where they made the first shot before missing the second. Travis Perry was able to run down a clutch defensive rebound, allowing him to seal the game at the charity stripe.

Ole Miss (14-19, 4-14 SEC) managed to get out in front 9-5 through the first five minutes of play.

Georgia (22-10, 10-8 SEC) would cut the lead to two, 14-12, before Ilias Kamardine stopped Georgia's advance, responding with a three-pointer under the 10-minute mark to put them up five.

From there, the Rebels' defense would thwart the Bulldogs' attempts to mount a comeback, as the Rebels ended the half holding the Bulldogs to 20 points, the fewest they have scored in a first half this season.

Defense wasn't the only thing going for Ole Miss, as they ended the half with a fastbreak from AJ Storr to go up 14, 34-20, at halftime.

In the second period, the Rebels came out firing early as they hit four threes through the first six minutes to go up 53-32.

Despite the hot start, Georgia stormed back to cut Ole Miss's lead to five, 57-52, with under nine minutes on the clock. On the Bulldogs' following possession, they would score a drop-off dunk to get within one possession.

Travis Perry helped the Rebels respond with a three-pointer to put Ole Miss back up six, 60-54 at the 7:16 mark.

Ole Miss would remain in front over the next four minutes of play, with them leading 66-61 after Eduardo Klafke hit a step-back midrange jumper with just over three minutes to go.

They would hold on to advance to the quarters of the SEC Tournament for the second year in a row, earning two victories at the event for the first time since the Ole Miss title run in 2013.

The Rebels will now face No. 15 Alabama on Friday, March 13 at 6 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

NOTABLES
While Georgia entered the night as the third-highest scoring offense in the nation, Ole Miss held them to their lowest point total and field goal percentage in a first half this year.
Malik Dia finished with 17 points and is now averaging 19.9 points per game over the last nine contests.
James Scott pulled in a season-high 13 rebounds, recording three blocks on the defensive end for the sixth time this year.
Ilias Kamardine helped fuel the strong defensive showing with four steals, a new season-high.
Ole Miss has yet to trail in each of their first two games at the SEC Tournament.

The Updated SEC Tournament Bracket:

*All Times Eastern*

First Round — Wednesday, March 11

Game 1: No. 9 Kentucky 87, No. 16 LSU 82
Game 2: No. 12 Auburn 79, No. 13 Mississippi State 61
Game 3: No. 15 Ole Miss 76, No. 10 Texas 66
Game 4: No. 11 Oklahoma 86, No. 14 South Carolina 74

Second Round — Thursday, March 12

Game 5: No. 9 Kentucky 78, No. 8 Missouri 72
Game 6: No. 5 Tennessee 72, No. 12 Auburn 62
Game 7: No. 15 Ole Miss 76, No. 7 Georgia 72
Game 8: No. 11 Oklahoma 83, No. 6 Texas A&M 63

Quarterfinals — Friday, March 13

Game 9: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Kentucky| 1 p.m. on ESPN
Game 10: No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 5 Tennessee| 25 minutes after Game 9 on ESPN
Game 11: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Ole Miss| 7 p.m. on SEC Network
Game 12: No. 3 Arkansas vs. No. 11 Oklahoma| 25 minutes after Game 11 on SEC Network

Semifinals — Saturday, March 14

Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 1 p.m. on ESPN
Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner | 25 minutes after Game 13 on ESPN

Championship — Sunday, March 15

Game 15: Semifinal winners | 1 p.m. on ESPN

More Ole Miss News:

Georgia Bulldogs, Indiana Hoosiers Pushing to Flip Nation's No. 4 QB From Ole Miss

The SEC Tournament Bracket: Ole Miss Basketball Eyeing Upset Win Over Texas Longhorns

Ole Miss Football Recruiting Buzz: Rebels Poised for Massive Run of Commitments

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