OXFORD, Miss. – Mississippi coach Andy Kennedy, with his club nursing a 59-57 lead over Tennessee with less than five seconds remaining, made a strategic defensive decision on the game’s final play.
“We went man-to-man on the out of bounds play because if you play zone, then a 3-point shot will beat you,” said Kennedy, who watched Tennessee’s Josh Richardson miss a potential game-tying basket from 12 feet and Ole Miss survived.
“I just didn’t want to see him (Richardson) hit a 3. He made a great play to get a clean look and he got a good shot. We got a kind bounce,” Kennedy said. “Our margin of error is awfully small and we’ve proved that for 27 games.”
The win was the eighth in the last nine starts for the Rebels (19-8, 10-4), who remained tied for third place in the SEC standings. Ole Miss has won five of the last six games decided by six points or less and strengthened its case for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Stefan Moody led the Rebels with 22 points, including six from 3-point range and added six steals. Jarvis Summers had 13 points, eight assists and combined with Moody to hit three free throws in the final two minutes for the win.