Auburn lost to Ole Miss 85-79 at Neville Arena on Saturday, despite strong performances from Tahaad Pettiford and Keyshawn Hall. The two players combined for 45 points, but Ole Miss capitalized on three-point shooting, making 10 shots from beyond the arc.
“Really disappointed. I apologize to our fans who have been so phenomenal all year,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “They deserve better from us.”
Pettiford led Auburn with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting and contributed four rebounds and three assists. Hall added 21 points and six rebounds, making nine out of ten free throws. Elyjah Freeman scored 15 points with six rebounds, while Kevin Overton finished with 10 points.
Auburn trailed by one point at halftime but managed to take an eight-point lead early in the second half after key plays from Freeman, Overton, and Pettiford. However, Ole Miss responded with a series of three-pointers over the next ten minutes and went on a 27-7 run to take a twelve-point lead.
“We had an opportunity to extend the lead and both times we had empty possessions offensively,” Pearl said. “They took advantage of it.”
Ole Miss coach Chris Beard commented on his team’s approach: “We understood what Auburn was playing for tonight, but we had great purpose in our locker room as well. Tonight, we got some timely rim protection. It’s a good team win for Ole Miss.”
The Tigers narrowed the deficit to two points late in the game following three-pointers by Hall and Pettiford and free throws by Freeman. However, Ilias Kamardine hit another three-pointer for Ole Miss with under three minutes remaining to push their lead back up.
Pettiford tried to close the gap further but missed a crucial free throw after drawing a foul with just over two minutes left. Ole Miss then secured their victory by converting nine free throws in the final moments of play.
Hall scored ten first-half points as Auburn overcame a slow start. Patton Pinkins made all three of his first-half attempts from long range for Ole Miss, helping them build an early advantage.
“It’s a team that makes four 3s a game and they make 10,” Pearl said. “They made shots early and that gives them confidence throughout the rest of the game.”
Pinkins and AJ Storr each recorded 26 points for Ole Miss (12-17 overall; 4-12 SEC).
Auburn finished with notable statistical achievements despite the loss:
– The Tigers shot just over fifty percent from the floor (26-of-51), marking their third-best percentage in conference play this season.
– Auburn outrebounded Ole Miss by five boards.
– Pettiford’s performance marked his tenth twenty-point game this season—five within his last seven outings—and he is averaging nineteen points per game during that span.
– Hall has reached twenty or more points seventeen times this season; his total of 561 points moved him into twentieth place on Auburn’s single-season scoring list.
– With nine successful free throws against Ole Miss, Hall became only the second player in program history to reach at least two hundred made free throws in one season.
– Freeman posted an SEC season-high fifteen points while also contributing defensively.
Auburn (15-14 overall; 6-10 SEC) will play its final home game Tuesday against LSU at Neville Arena.
