When #5 Alabama welcomed #21 Ole Miss to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday evening, it was clear that both teams were ready to give everything. Ole Miss showed great fight throughout, and although Alabama was uncharacteristically cold from the floor, they matched the Rebels’ physicality. By night’s end, Ole Miss pulled away in the second half and fought off a valiant comeback to secure a 74-64 road win.
Malik Dia Grabbed All the Headlines for the Ole Miss Rebels
Malik Dia was the story of the day for Ole Miss. The big man showed great energy, immense strength, and surprising quickness throughout the game en route to 23 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. His 4 offensive rebounds matched Alabama’s total offensive rebounds. It was a performance that should earn him a lot of praise from the national media.
Dia was the go-to guy early, scoring 13 points and contributing 6 rebounds in the first period alone. As the game grew more and more physical, Dia seemed to welcome it and continue to look better and better.
Dia is not just a force on offense. His defensive prowess consistently posed problems for Alabama’s offense, impacting drives, smothering shots, and preventing the Tide from getting a hold on offensive rebounds. His presence was a big part of why Alabama posted a season-low 64 points.
𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗞 𝗗𝗜𝗔 𝗩𝗦. 𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗔𝗠𝗔 🔥
23 Points
19 Rebounds@malikkdia x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/sqd7JWkmUA— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 15, 2025
Alabama’s Undoing Was in the Details
As mentioned, Alabama’s #1 scoring offense, which averages 91.1 points per game, was held to their season-low on Tuesday evening. Several key stats help reveal what the problem was for head coach Nate Oats’ team.
Firstly, rebounding. As is so often the determining factor in the brutal SEC, the glass proved key in Alabama’s demise. Despite holding the overall advantage, they were limited to just 4 offensive rebounds, significantly under their average of 15.1 offensive boards per contest. A poor shooting night also contributed, as the Tide were just 5-20 from three-point territory. The team averages over 10 made threes per game.
Part of the shooting problem was turnovers. Bama averages under 13 turnovers per game but had a whopping 21 against Ole Miss. Forward Grant Nelson was particularly rattled early, with 3 turnovers in the first half. The Rebels have forced double-digit first half turnovers in five games this season. Bama’s 11 giveaways in the opening period nullified some of their strong play and resulted in a slim halftime lead. So many lost possessions meant that a poor shooting night could not be solved with a higher volume of attempts.
Bama once again did not help themselves at the free throw line, shooting just 73% as a team. Coach Oats described the foul shooting as “beyond frustrating” when speaking to reporters postgame. Alabama ended their eight-game win streak with a disappointing result at home.
Alabama’s Mark Sears and Labaron Philon Did Not Have Their Best Outing
Even while fighting through the aforementioned issues, Alabama has a pair of guards in senior Mark Sears and freshman Labaron Philon who are talented enough to rescue the team from dire situations. This was not the case on Tuesday, as both players had subpar performances.
Philon finished with just 1 point in 15 minutes played. The freshman struggled with turnovers and saw his minutes taken by bench players Chris Youngblood and Aden Holloway. While Holloway had a team-high 15 points off the bench, Youngblood was a disappointing 3-10 from the floor with only 8 points.
Go to work Aiden! #RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/dBkEs7xcUL
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) January 15, 2025
Sears, the leading scorer in college basketball’s premier conference, only ended up with 11 points. He was just 2-8 from the field, and although he contributed 5 assists and 4 rebounds, the team needs a lot more from their senior leader.
As a result of some of the struggling from its leading scorers, Bama had a more balanced attack. 9 players scored in the first half, with no one taking more than 5 shots. Ultimately, the starting unit only managed 33 points compared to the bench’s 31. It was an overall bad night for one of the best offenses in the nation.
Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard will be proud of his guys, who notched a signature road win over one of the best teams in the conference. The confidence moving forward should be at all-time high entering their rivalry clash with #15 Mississippi State on Saturday. Alabama greets #6 Kentucky at the weekend.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow @HardwoodHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in the NBA and college basketball, click here!
