BY: Andy Humphrey
ATLANTA – In the final game of Day 2 of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament,
the Ole Miss Rebels (19-13, 9-9) mounted a second half comeback to beat the
Mississippi State Bulldogs (14-19, 3-15) by a score of 78-66.
Senior guard Marshall Henderson and junior guard Jarvis Summers led the Rebels
with 21 points apiece. Henderson had seven 3-pointers out of 19 attempts in the
contest to help his team get the win despite trailing the Bulldogs by 13 with 16:42
left in the second half.
“That’s our prime position: being down,” said Henderson. “When we’re there, you
better watch out.”
Mississippi State shot 57.7 percent from the field in the first half for a 44-35 halftime
lead, but cooled off significantly with only 17.4 percent in the second half.
In contrast, Ole Miss finished the first half on 37.1 percent shooting in the opening
half, and improved to 56 percent in the second period.
“When you make shots, it’s amazing how much energy you have. When you miss
shots, that energy goes away quickly,” said Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy.
The Rebels move on to face the Georgia Bulldogs Friday in the quarterfinals.
Georgia defeated Ole Miss 61-60 in Athens, Ga. on Feb. 15.