Basketball

Texas Pulls Away from Rebels 85-68 in SEC Tournament Semifinal

Published

6 months ago

March 7, 2026

Ole Miss's Latasha Lattimore (8) during the 2026 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Ole Miss fought back in the second half but couldn’t finish the comeback Saturday night, falling 85-68 to Texas in the SEC Tournament semifinal.

The Rebels spent most of the game trying to close a gap created early by the Longhorns. Ole Miss showed life in the third quarter, trimming the lead and giving itself a chance entering the final period.

But Texas answered in the fourth quarter with a strong scoring run to secure the victory and move on to the championship game.

Ole Miss finished the night with a 23-11 record after the semifinal loss.

The game started with Texas quickly setting the tone. The Longhorns jumped out to a 12-0 run, forcing the Rebels to regroup early in the first quarter.

Ole Miss eventually settled in and began to score, but Texas still held a 22-16 lead after the opening period.

The Rebs matched Texas with 16 points again in the second quarter, but the Longhorns added 20 more to extend their advantage.

By halftime, Ole Miss trailed 42-32 and needed a second-half push to stay in the tournament.

Ole Miss’ Tianna Thompson (35) and Texas’s Breya Cunningham (25) during the 2026 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas Longhorns at Bon Secours Arena in Greenville , S.C. | Addi Ray-SEC Images

Ole Miss Surge Cuts Deficit Late in Third

The Rebels delivered that push coming out of the break.

Ole Miss outscored Texas 23-15 in the third quarter and steadily chipped away at the lead. Defensive stops and improved shooting helped the Rebels regain momentum.

The key moment came at the end of the quarter when Denim DeShields knocked down a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

That shot brought Ole Miss within two points heading into the fourth quarter and gave the Rebels real hope of completing the comeback.

Texas responded immediately in the final period.

The Longhorns scored 28 points in the fourth quarter while holding the Rebels to just 13.

A late run by Texas stretched the lead back to double digits and ultimately put the game out of reach.

Despite the loss, the Rebels showed resilience after trailing by double figures earlier in the game.

DeShields Leads Scoring for Rebels

Denim DeShields helped lead the offensive effort for Ole Miss and provided one of the game’s biggest moments with her late third-quarter 3-pointer.

Cotie McMahon also played a major role offensively as the Rebels worked to stay within reach throughout the second half.

Christeen Iwuala added a strong effort in the paint with 12 points and eight rebounds for the Rebs.

Ole Miss showed improved scoring during the third quarter but struggled to keep the momentum going in the fourth.

Texas capitalized on those missed chances and used consistent scoring down the stretch to widen the margin.

The Rebels continued to compete until the final minutes but couldn’t overcome the Longhorns’ late surge.

Rebels Await NCAA Tournament Next

Even with the loss, Ole Miss’ run to the SEC Tournament semifinal showed the team’s ability to compete against top competition.

The Rebels now turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament selection process.

Ole Miss’ overall record and performance during the season should put the Rebels in position to continue playing in March.

For now, the Rebs leave Greenville after a tournament run that included a semifinal appearance and a competitive showing against one of the league’s top teams.

The Rebels showed their ability to respond to adversity, even when facing a tough opponent on a big stage.

Up Next

Everything Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin Said after Saturday’s Loss to Texas

Don't Miss

Everything to Know About Ole Miss’ SEC Tournament Semifinal vs Texas

Basketball

Ole Miss Basketball Appears in First Look at Expanded NCAA Tournament Field

Published

4 months ago

May 8, 2026

Taylor Hodges

Ole Miss Men's Basketball during the game against Mississippi St. at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi on January 17, 2026. | Ole Miss Athletics

Most college sports fans saw Thursday’s news that the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are expanding to 76 teams. Eight additional teams will be added to what is currently the First Four, turning it into a 24‑team play‑in stage with 12 games across two days. The winners will join the 52 teams already slotted into the traditional first‑round bracket.

We already talked about what expansion means for both Ole Miss programs, and it’s still way too early to know which teams will actually benefit next season. But you know that won’t stop anyone from trying.

NCAA.com analyst Andy Katz posted his first 76‑team projection Friday morning, based on his initial Power 44 rankings for 2026‑27. Katz or his model must really like what Ole Miss has done this offseason. The Rebels show up at No. 39 in the Power 44 and land as a No. 10 seed in the South quadrant.

🚨 FIRST 76-TEAM BRACKET PREDICTION 🚨@TheAndyKatz makes his first bracket prediction for the 2027 tournament, complete with matchup projections for the new Opening Round 🔮 pic.twitter.com/hNeK8q7QDe

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 8, 2026

Again, it’s early. The last season ended a month ago. Ole Miss shouldn’t start booking hotel rooms in Pittsburgh just yet.

Still, this tells us two things about Ole Miss and the new tournament format.

First, it’s going to be hard for a middle‑of‑the‑pack SEC team to miss the field now. Second, if the bracket had been at 76 teams this past season, the committee would’ve had a real decision to make about the Rebels.

Maybe they get in. Maybe they don’t. Did they deserve a spot? Probably not, and adding eight more at‑large bids doesn’t change that much.

But the future looks better now for Ole Miss.

Full seed list from @TheAndyKatz ✍️ pic.twitter.com/fN4jvq9w83

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 8, 2026

Andy Katz’s Initial Power 44

1. Duke

2. Florida

3. Michigan

4. Illinois

5. Tennessee

6. UConn

7. Arizona

8. Arkansas

9. Texas

10. Michigan State

11. Vanderbilt

12. Virginia

13. Kansas

14. Houston

15. Louisville

16. Alabama

17. Nebraska

18. Iowa State

19. Purdue

20. USC

21. Gonzaga

22. St. John’s

23. Miami (FL)

24. Indiana

25. Missouri

26. VCU

27. Saint Louis

28. UCLA

29. Ohio State

30. BYU

31. Iowa

32. Texas A&M

33. North Carolina

34. Providence

35. Baylor

36. Wisconsin

37. Auburn

38. Xavier

39. Ole Miss

40. Marquette

41. Texas Tech

42. Kentucky

43. Maryland

44. New Mexico

Basketball

What NCAA Tournament Expansion Means for Ole Miss Basketball

Published

4 months ago

May 7, 2026

Taylor Hodges

Ole Miss basketball players celebrate a SEC Tournament win against Alabama on Friday night. | Ole Miss Athletics

Missing the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments is about to get a lot harder.

Multiple outlets reported and the NCAA itself announced Thursday that the committees overseeing both tournaments have officially voted to expand the fields to 76 teams.

None of this should catch anyone off guard. The NCAA started exploring expansion about a year ago, and reports two weeks ago made it clear the process was in its final stages. Now it’s done. The new format will debut in 2027.

The NCAA Tournament will officially expand to 76 teams starting in 2027.

👉 https://t.co/g81aEaAjqU pic.twitter.com/Sd6uLF7Mcc

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 7, 2026

According to ESPN, top NCAA officials met with the tournament’s media partners to finalize the updated contracts before the vote. The committees required signed agreements before making anything official, and once those were in place, expansion moved forward.

The biggest change comes at the front end of the tournament. Eight additional teams will be added to what is currently the First Four. That round will grow into a 24‑team play‑in stage with 12 games spread across two days. The winners will join the 52 teams already slotted into the traditional first‑round bracket.

A look at the new bracket 👀 pic.twitter.com/esm18WdUSJ

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 7, 2026

The NCAA is expected to rebrand the First Four language, but the structure stays familiar. The opening round will still include both automatic qualifiers and at‑large teams. All 16 seeds and half of the 15 seeds will make up half of the 24‑team group. The other half will come from the lowest‑seeded at‑large teams, including a mix of 11 and 12 seeds.

It’s a significant shift, but the goal is simple: more teams, more access, and fewer seasons ending on Selection Sunday with nothing to show for it.

What This Means for Ole Miss

On the women’s side, this doesn’t move the needle much. Yolett McPhee‑McCuin has raised the bar to the point where simply making the tournament isn’t the goal anymore.

Ole Miss wants to host a NCAA Regional for the first time in program history, and that standard doesn’t change with a bigger field.

The men’s side is a little different. It depends on the year. Two seasons ago, expansion wouldn’t have mattered. This past season, it would’ve changed everything.

Ole Miss finished 15-20 and sat at No. 80 in the NET. In a 76‑team bracket, that puts you on the bubble, and one more win in the SEC Tournament probably gets the Rebels into the field.

For programs in a league as deep as the SEC, the extra spots matter. The women’s side won’t feel much of a shift, but the men’s side absolutely will. Bubble teams in this conference won’t be living on the same razor’s edge anymore.

Basketball

Ole Miss Basketball Transfer Portal Picture Comes Into Focus

Published

4 months ago

May 5, 2026

Taylor Hodges

It’s been two weeks since the transfer portal window closed, and after a slow start, Ole Miss is finally nearing the end of its roster‑building phase.

The Rebels have added seven transfers, plus TJ Clark who committed back in December. Four‑star recruits Jaron Saulsberry, Yohance Connor and Daniel Patton are also on the way this summer.

Those 10 newcomers will join Ilias Kamardine and Patton Pinkins, the only returning Rebels, to form the foundation of next year’s roster.

The question is whether that’s enough, and whether Chris Beard is actually done adding.

The honest answer is maybe and probably not.

Nobody knows yet if this group will be better or worse than what Ole Miss just put on the floor.

There’s no headline addition, but that doesn’t mean the roster can’t mesh, grow together and avoid needing a miracle run in March.

There’s also the chance it looks like last season, when the pieces never fully clicked.

Given the current guard‑heavy build, it feels likely Beard will look for more frontcourt help. Stefan Cicic gives Ole Miss a true 7‑footer and Santiago Trouet adds more size, but the Rebels could still use another proven interior presence.

One name to watch is former Florida Atlantic forward Devin Williams, who has reportedly met with Ole Miss over Zoom and is visiting Arizona this week. Williams finished fifth nationally in blocks last season at 2.58 per game, which would give Beard a real defensive anchor inside.

In the end, Ole Miss won’t know what this roster really is until the group gets on the floor together, but the picture is at least starting to take shape.

Beard has rebuilt almost the entire program for the second straight offseason, and there’s still room for one or two more pieces to round it out.

Whether this version ends up being better, worse, or simply different from last year’s team is impossible to know in May, but the next additions will tell us plenty about how the Rebels plan to finish the job.