STARKVILLE — Ole Miss’ goal of winning out in the regular season in the hopes of securing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament was dealt a severe, if not fatal, blow at the hands of an undermanned Mississippi State team Saturday afternoon. Outplayed and outhustled all game long, the Rebels suffered a shocking 73-67 defeat to the Bulldogs in front of a jubilant crowd of 5,853 at Humphrey Coliseum.
Instead of being able to garner their first sweep of MSU, a team with just seven scholarship players on its roster, for the first time since 1998, the Rebels (21-8 overall, 10-6 Southeastern Conference) were left wondering what the future holds for them in regards to postseason rather than remaining in the discussion to make the field of 68 for the first time since 2002.
