Three Takeaways: Ole Miss Basketball Shocks No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa

The Ole Miss Rebels claimed a massive win on the road over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Jan 14, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama guard Labaron Philon (0) makes a pass as he is defended by Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell (11) and Ole Miss forward Malik Dia (0) at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 21 Ole Miss Rebels went into Tuscaloosa on Tuesday night to play a game where they appeared outmatched against the red-hot No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide. Instead of following the script, Ole Miss flipped it and came away with a 74-64 win, giving its resume a massive boost in mid-January.

Ole Miss is now one of two remaining undefeated teams in SEC play (joining No. 1 Auburn who dismantled Mississippi State on Tuesday night), and this served as the first-ever road win for the Rebels over an AP Top 5 team.

What did we learn from Tuesday's result? Let's dive in below.

1. Ole Miss had a formula to win this game, and it executed it to perfection.

Alabama came into Tuesday night averaging 91.1 PPG, good for the best mark in the country. In order for Ole Miss to win this game, it was going to have to be tenacious on defense, cause chaos, and score enough points to win in the end.

The Rebels checked all three of those boxes.

Ole Miss forced a whopping 21 turnovers on Tuesday night compared to committing just seven on the offensive end. Those numbers will get you a win, more often than not, and it's exactly what the doctor ordered for Chris Beard's squad.

2. Malik Dia has been playing on another level over the last three games.

Dia once again led the Rebels in scoring on Tuesday night with 23 points, and the transfer from Belmont has looked like an All-SEC post presence over the last three games. It may be unrealistic to think he can sustain this level of execution throughout conference play, but Dia's production against Arkansas, LSU and now Alabama has been a big reason the Rebels have remained undefeated in conference play.

When the shot from deep isn't falling, having a post presence like Dia can be the difference between a win and a loss. It will be interesting to see how he handles a full SEC schedule.

3. The SEC slate will give plenty of teams trouble at times this year. That shouldn't take away from the magnitude of this win.

Ole Miss basketball has literally never been able to do what it accomplished tonight: defeat an AP Top 5 team on the road. Chris Beard came to Oxford with hopes of competing at the highest level, and while there is still plenty of basketball left to play, the Rebels proved that they can do just that on Tuesday night.

Next up is Mississippi State, and the challenge for Ole Miss will be getting back up emotionally for another road test against yet another Top 25 SEC squad.

READ MORE Ole Miss Rebels News:

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Ole Miss Basketball's Chris Beard Breaks Down Balanced Offensive Plan in Win vs. LSU

Malik Dia Shines Again in Ole Miss Basketball's Win Over LSU

Malik Dia Gives Ole Miss Basketball 'Special Performance' in Win Over Arkansas

Ole Miss Basketball's Chris Beard Breaks Down Crucial Conference Win at Arkansas