Ole Miss Embarks on SEC Tournament

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

Terence Davis recorded 25 points and 12 rebounds. Photo by Sarah Kane.

The Ole Miss Rebels step onto the hardwood of the SEC Tournament under the lights of Music City tonight when they face the Alabama Crimson Tide. In the second round of the tournament, tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

Ole Miss (20-11, 10-8 SEC) comes into Nashville after defeating Missouri to close out the regular season.

Coach Kermit Davis was named SEC Coach of the Year on Tuesday by his peers and the Associated Press.

This season, the Rebels guard play has been a focus for the squad with Breein Tyree, Terence Davis and Devontae Shuler.

The duo of Davis and Tyree is the top scoring tandem in the league as they average 34.6 points per game.

Alabama rolls into tonight’s matchup with a 17-14 record and an 8-10 mark in SEC play. The Crimson Tide is riding a three-game losing streak, including an 82-70 loss at Arkansas to allow the Razorbacks to claim the tiebreaker for the No. 9 seed.

SEC All-Freshman guard Kira Lewis Jr. leads Alabama in scoring at 13.9 ppg and shoots at a 79.1 percent clip from the charity stripe. John Petty follows at 10.6 ppg with the majority of his scoring coming from three-point land. Leading the team in threes made, 55 of Petty’s 111 made field goals have been beyond the arc.

Donta Hall’s 13 double-doubles lead the SEC. The senior is averaging 10.6 ppg and 8.5 rpg, including a conference-best 8.9 rpg in SEC play. Registering 53 blocks helped land Hall on the SEC All-Defensive Team.

This game will be the 180th meeting between the two schools. The Crimson Tide holds a 121-58 lead in the series, which began in 1921, but the Rebels have won four of the last seven against Alabama. The two teams have met eight times in the SEC Tournament. Alabama leads the series 6-2 in the conference tournament, including wins in the last four matchups. The last time the Rebels and Crimson Tide met in the SEC Tournament, Alabama claimed an 81-73 victory (March 10, 2016).

Fans not making the trip to the Music City can watch all the action on the SEC Network or listen to the call on the Ole Miss Radio Network.