The rough season had gotten a little better for Ole Miss basketball (12-17, 5-11) with the road win over Missouri. However the Rebels returned home to The Pavilion to host the No.19 Tennessee Vols (21-7, 11-5) Saturday. Interim head coach Tony Madlock and the Rebels needed a win and fell short in a 73-65 contest.
The Rebels struggled badly in the first half against the far more physical Tennessee team. Ole Miss basketball shot for a season low 26 points before the break and trailed 41-26 at the half. In the second half behind a flurry of Ole Miss offense the Rebels pulled within 4 but saw the deficit increase lat in the 2nd.