Ole Miss basketball made it 2-0 in SEC play with a big 73-66 win on the road against Arkansas. It's the first time the program has won in Fayetteville since 2015.
The Razorbacks took a 10-1 lead inside five minutes, with the Rebels sluggish in the opening period of the first half. Even with five minutes left, Ole Miss trailed by eight. However, they pulled it back to go in 33-33 at the half.
Entering the second half, the road team took the lead and never looked back, dropping 40 points. Malik Dia finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, a stand-out game for the forward.
Sean Pedulla (16) and Dre Davis (10) also had double-digit games. Davis also had seven rebounds, another excellent match for the Seton Hall transfer.
""Round 2 of an 18-round fight is how we set it up for our team. SEC is as good as advertised. We played well tonight...we took care of the basketball tonight, a focal point with Arkansas as good as a team as any in the country if you turn it over.""Chris Beard postgame press conference
Ole Miss continues to produce good second-half performances and could be even more dangerous if it can consistently put together a strong first half. Chris Beard knows this team has even more to offer.
Big third SEC game next against LSU at home
Ole Miss welcomes LSU to the Pavilion next on January 11, with a big chance to go 3-0. The Tigers are 0-2 after losses to Vanderbilt and Missouri. You can't take any SEC team for granted, but if the Rebels turn up again, it puts them in a great position with three challenging games afterwards.
Alabama, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State are all top 15 ranked teams currently 2-0. The way Ole Miss plays, they will fancy beating any team.