Chris Beard’s debut matchup against his former employer, Texas, proved to be one for the books.
No. 23 Ole Miss led Texas 70-69 with eight seconds left on the clock. Davon Barnes trotted to the free-throw line with a one-and-one opportunity ahead of him. The Rebels faced an eerily similar situation just one week ago in what ultimately resulted in a heartbreaking defeat as Texas A&M’s Manny Obaseki hit a game-winning three to steal a road win after Barnes missed the first guaranteed free shot.
But things turned out differently in Oxford on Wednesday. Barnes, a Sam Houston transfer, stepped up to the line with confidence and made not one, but both of his free throws. Subsequently, a good look from behind the arc by standout Texas guard Tre Johnson was unsuccessful. The clock expired with Ole Miss (16-5, 5-3 SEC) walking away a 72-69 victor over the Longhorns (14-7, 3-5 SEC) while snapping a three-game losing streak.
Texas hired Beard in 2021, just two years after he led Texas Tech to a national championship appearance. The Longhorns’ administration terminated Beard’s employment with the university on January 5, 2023, less than a month after the basketball frontman was arrested in connection with an alleged domestic abuse incident — one in which charges were ultimately dropped.
Rodney Terry, one of Beard’s assistants, was promoted to Texas’ head coaching role in the interim, and later earned the full-time nod. In March 2023, Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter gave Beard a new lease on life in Oxford. On Wednesday, Beard and Terry reunited on the hardwood for the first time since the two coached together in Austin and the former boss won the first battle.
Game Recap
The visiting team jumped off to an early 11-2 lead as Ole Miss was unable to land a field goal in more than five minutes of action. The Rebels finally garnered offensive momentum courtesy of a pair of triples by Sean Pedulla and Dre Davis.
Despite Ole Miss’ putrid start offensively, a Jaemyn Brakefield jumper knotted things up 12-12 with 12:54 on the clock. The Rebels reclaimed the lead a little over two minutes later, but then an avalanche of scoring occurred on the other end.
Texas, fueled by Johnson’s hot hand, led a 20-8 run to boast an 11-point lead with under four minutes remaining until the intermission. The pendulum then swung in the home team’s favor as a Davis three kickstarted a 9-2 Rebel run to close out the half. Texas led 38-34 at halftime.
Ole Miss came out hot in the second half with a forced turnover leading to a Jaylen Murray three in the first 30 seconds of action. The Rebels later claimed a one-possession advantage that was short-lived. With 10:31 remaining in the midweek showdown, the game was tied 49-49.
From there, a rock fight ensued with both squads trading blows. As soon as one team would take a lead, the other would counter for the next five minutes and both defenses made the requisite stops to allow each offense shots at separating on the scoreboard.
The Rebels, who once trailed by as many as 13, attempted to blow things open down the stretch. A steal by Brakefield converted into a dunk by Davis to give Ole Miss a five-point advantage — the team’s largest of the night — with five minutes left to play.
Ole Miss maintained its slim advantage until Kadin Shedrick grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed missed layup by Tramon and flushed the ball through the cylinder to knot things up with 1:25 left in the matchup. Pedulla landed a clutch jumper on the following offensive possession to put Ole Miss up two.
Pedulla was then whistled for a blocking foul, sending Kaluma to the charity stripe to shoot two free throws with 49 seconds remaining in the game. The Texas forward split the free shots, allowing the Rebels to maintain their lead. And the rest is history.
Impact Players
Three Rebels shined in the thriller. Pedulla led the way offensively with 19 points as he shot 50% from the floor. Brakefield, who made six of seven free-throw attempts, had 17 points. Davis, who missed Saturday’s outing at Missouri, was arguably the most impactful player on the court. The Seton Hall transfer had 17 points, a team-best seven rebounds, and two crucial blocks.
For Texas, Johnson, a consensus five-star who was one of the top players in the 2024 high school class, was nearly a one-man-band. He logged 22 points and made two of the team’s five three-pointers. Kaluma ended the night with 12 points and a team-best seven boards.
Deciding Factor
While Ole Miss lost yet another rebounding battle, hauling in nine fewer boards than its conference counterpart, the turnover battle made up for the disparity on the glass. Texas turned the ball over 11 times, which resulted in 13 points for the home team. Ole Miss, on the other hand, only coughed the ball up four times total, and just once in the second half.
In a tight defensive battle, Ole Miss found itself at the free throw line 11 more times than Texas and had seven more points from the charity stripe. The Rebels also landed two more three-pointers in the contest that saw 14 lead changes.
What’s Next
Ole Miss’ toughest test of the season lies ahead with No. 1 Auburn traveling west to take on the Rebels in the SJB Pavilion on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. The game will be aired on ESPN and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
