This past Saturday, the Tennessee Volunteers stunned the Alabama Crimson Tide with a thrilling game-winner.
In Wednesday night's road game against the unranked Ole Miss Rebels, the tides turned against the No. 4 Volunteers.
With 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Volunteers trailing the Rebels 76-72, Tennessee senior forward Igor Milicic Jr. drilled a three-pointer and was fouled. Milicic subsequently made his free throw, tying the game.
TENNESSEE TIES IT ON A 4-POINT PLAY @Vol_Hoops
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 6, 2025
(via @espn)pic.twitter.com/cxF8VKVqWI
However, Ole Miss would respond on the ensuing possession.
The Rebels inbounded the ball to senior guard Sean Pedulla with 12 seconds left. He quickly fired a three-pointer and missed, but Ole Miss forward Jaemyn Brakefield grabbed a rebound and scored.
OLE MISS SURGES BACK IN FRONT @OleMissMBB
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 6, 2025
(via @espn)pic.twitter.com/Nah2Ep9by9
Brakefield's bucket sealed a 78-76 win for the Rebels. Ole Miss has won two of its last three games and improved to 21-9 and 10-7 in conference play. Tennessee, meanwhile, is now 24-6 and 11-6 in SEC play.
Along with the clutch putback, Brakefield had one of his best games this season. In 24 minutes, he scored a team-high 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He also had two assists and two rebounds.
This matchup shouldn't have significant NCAA Tournament implications for either team. In his latest bracket, ESPN's Joe Lunardi lists Tennessee as a No. 1 seed in the West region and Ole Miss as a No. 8 seed.
However, they could meet again in the SEC Tournament, which is scheduled for March 12-16 in Nashville, Tennessee, at Bridgestone Arena. If they do, perhaps they'll produce another exciting matchup.
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