Ole Miss Welcomes Mizzou into the Pavilion for an SEC Tilt

Photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy / Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss returns to the confines of the Pavilion this evening as they host the Missouri Tigers. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on the SEC Network.

Ole Miss (11-12, 4-6 SEC) is looking to rebound from a 91-64 loss on the road at Tennessee. Bruce Stevens scored a team-high 16 points, going 2 of 2 from beyond the arc as part of the Rebels’ 11 three-pointers throughout the contest. Facing a 10-point halftime deficit, Ole Miss went on a 7-0 run to begin the second half and make it a one-possession ballgame. The Volunteers outscored the Rebels by 19 points over the final 11 minutes, handing Ole Miss its worst loss (in terms of point differential) during the coach Andy Kennedy era.
The Rebels have four players averaging double figures in conference action (Deandre Burnett-14.7 ppg, Breein Tyree-11.5 ppg, Terence Davis-11.0 ppg, Stevens-11.0 ppg), compared to only two for the entire season.
Senior Markel Crawford needs 15 points to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Missouri comes into this matchup with a 15-8 record following a pair of big SEC wins. The Tigers snapped a three-game losing skid by beating Alabama on the road (Jan. 31) and No. 21 Kentucky at home (Feb. 3) to increase their conference mark to 5-5.
Senior guard Kassius Robertson averaged 19.0 ppg to lead Mizzou to a perfect week, earning SEC Player of the Week honors. On the season, Robertson paces the team in scoring (16.0 ppg) and steals (21). He leads the SEC in playing time, averaging 34.5 minutes per game. Fellow senior Jordan Barnett adds 14.0 ppg. As a team, the Tigers top the conference in rebounding defense during SEC games, allowing only 32.8 boards per contest.
Cuonzo Martin is in his first season as Missouri’s head coach after spending three years at California. Prior to heading out west, Martin coached in the SEC by guiding Tennessee for three seasons (2012-14). He began his head coaching career at Missouri State (2009-11).
Ole Miss and Missouri have met just 10 times with all 10 meetings coming in since the Tigers joined the SEC in 2012-13. The Rebels lead the all-time series 9-1 and have won eight straight, including a three-game sweep of Missouri last season. Ole Miss and Mizzou have squared off four times in Oxford, twice in The Pavilion and twice in Tad Smith Coliseum, with the Rebels winning every contest. Missouri’s lone victory in the series was in Columbia (Feb. 9, 2013), and the two teams have also faced each other twice in the SEC Tournament.

Adam Brown is the sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
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