Ole Miss shocks Texas 76-66 in the SEC Tournament as Malik Dia scores 23 and Dailyn Swain records a double-double in a crushing loss for the Longhorns.
The Texas Longhorns’ NCAA Tournament hopes took a major hit Wednesday night after Ole Miss stunned Texas 76-66 in the SEC Tournament, delivering a costly loss that could push the Longhorns to the wrong side of the bubble.
Texas entered the night needing momentum, but instead ran into a hot-shooting Rebels squad led by Malik Dia, who poured in 23 points to pace Ole Miss.
The Rebels also got a huge boost from AJ Storr, who scored 18 points off the bench, including a clutch late scoring burst that slammed the door on Texas.
For the Longhorns, the defeat continues a brutal late-season slide.
Texas has now lost five of its last six games, and with a 18-14 record, their case for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid suddenly looks shaky.
Texas did have standout performances, particularly from Dailyn Swain, who delivered a strong 22-point, 12-rebound double-double. The dynamic forward continues to be the Longhorns’ most reliable playmaker, showing once again why he’s been one of the SEC’s most productive all-around players this season.
Guard Jordan Pope also gave Texas a spark, scoring 16 points, including a key 3-pointer early in the second half that briefly cut the Ole Miss lead to five points.
Matas Vokietaitis added 10 points, helping Texas stay within striking distance during a tense second half.
But every time the Longhorns threatened, Ole Miss had an answer.
After Texas trimmed the deficit midway through the second half, Ilias Kamardine fueled a critical 7-0 Rebels run, scoring six quick points to push the lead back to double digits.
The Longhorns fought back again late, trimming the margin to just three points with about four minutes remaining.
That’s when Storr took over. The Ole Miss guard scored eight points in the final minutes, while Texas struggled to generate offense down the stretch.
Now the Longhorns are left waiting nervously for Selection Sunday, hoping their body of work is enough to keep their March Madness dreams alive.