Instant reaction: Rebels finally break through in SEC play

Ole Miss really needed a win Saturday against Missouri.

To get that win it would need great performances by some of the Rebels’ most talented players, past performances excluded.

That’s what Ole Miss got.

Malik Dia put in a double-double performance and AJ Storr had one of his best games of the season, coming off the bench, to lead the Rebels to a 76-69 win against Missouri.

Dia finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds in 34 minutes of playing time. Storr, starting his second consecutive game from the bench, scored a game-high 26 points while shooting 4-of-6 on three-pointers and perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe.

The first and second halves had similarities in that both sides had scoring droughts and big runs.

First Half Recap

Missouri came out red-hot in the first half, shooting 57 percent from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point range to build a 10-point lead at the 10-minute media timeout.

On the other side, Ole Miss came out cold from the floor. The Rebels were 5-of-15 from the field and 2-of-5 on three pointers.

Then the temperatures completely reversed. Missouri had a scoreless streak that lasted nearly five minutes and saw the Tigers go 0-for-6 from the field. Additionally in that time span, the Tigers committed five turnovers and ended the final minutes of the game 1-of-9 on field goals.

Ole Miss closed the gap to 22-19 on a 7-0 scoring run at the 7:26 mark of the first half. That run was led in large part by Storr, who had eight points on three field goals that included two three-pointers.

The Rebels would eventually take its first lead of the game, 27-25, with 4:08 left to play on Storr’s third three-pointer of the half. That was part of a 15-3 run by the Rebels who would end the half with a 37-36 lead.

Nice find from Scott, Dia punches it in 🥊 #HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/1OFTaErYzw

— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 11, 2026

Second Half Recap

The second half began with a back-and-forth scoring exchange until Ole Miss had a three-minute scoring drought. But the Tigers couldn’t take advantage.

After that scoring drought, the Rebels caught fire going on a 7-0 run and holding Missouri scoreless for nearly three minutes. That results in a 69-62 Ole Miss lead with 3:02 left to play.

Missouri struggled all game at the free throw line and those struggles continued in the game’s final minutes, ensuring Ole Miss would get its first SEC win of the season.

Needed that Augusto‼️😤#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/qhNErIZZqR

— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 11, 2026

Top Performers

• Points: AJ Storr, 26
• Rebounds: Malik Dia, 11
• Assists: Koren Johnson, 5
• Steals: Eduardo Klafke, 2
• Blocks: Malik Dia, 3

Next Up

The Rebels will be back in action Wednesday when they travel to No. 18 Georgia (14-2, 2-1 SEC) who picked up its second conference win Saturday against South Carolina, 75-70.