By Aminat Ole Miss Rebels Make History with Stunning Upset Over No. 4 Alabama
In a thrilling matchup, the No. 21 Ole Miss Rebels pulled off a massive 74-64 upset over No. 4 Alabama on Tuesday night. This win marked the Rebels’ first-ever road victory against a top 5 team in program history.
Coach Chris Beard was beaming with pride, saying, “Maybe it’s time to talk a little bit about Ole Miss. Tonight, two really good teams played, and I think most of the national scene didn’t give Ole Miss much of a chance. Our players believed that we could be successful in this game, and that’s what we did.”
The Rebels’ defense was on fire in the second half, outscoring Alabama 42-28 and holding them to just 36% shooting. They also forced an impressive 21 turnovers throughout the game.
Forward Malik Dia had a breakout performance, scoring 23 points and grabbing a career-high 19 rebounds for his first double-double with Ole Miss. Coach Beard praised Dia, saying, “If you’re going to win a big boy game, and this was a first-place type game, you have to have some special performances.”
With this win, Ole Miss moves to 4-0 in SEC play and ties for first place in the conference with Auburn. They’ll face off against rival No. 15 Mississippi State on Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.