Ole Miss Faces Auburn in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals Showdown

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ole Miss men’s basketball aims to continue its postseason success as it faces top-seeded Auburn in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. The game is set to tip off at noon CT at Bridgestone Arena and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

After advancing past Arkansas 83-80 in a thrilling first-round matchup, Ole Miss hopes to upset the nation’s No. 3 team, having previously been dominated by the Tigers in two regular-season meetings.

Auburn swept both encounters with Ole Miss this season, including a commanding 30-point victory at home in Neville Arena on February 26. The Tigers shot an impressive 59.6% from the field that night, marking their season highs in shooting percentage and three-point shooting at 52.4%.

The first game of the season saw Auburn edge out Ole Miss 92-82 in Oxford on February 1, where the Tigers also demonstrated their prowess from beyond the arc, shooting 50%. Ole Miss, coming into the tournament as the No. 8 seed, concluded the regular season with an overall record of 21-10 and 10-8 in SEC play.

In the thrilling victory against Arkansas, Ole Miss relied heavily on star guard Sean Pedulla, who hit the game-winning three-pointer with just 1.3 seconds remaining. Pedulla finished the game with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting but had previously reached a season-high of 29 points in the earlier matchup against Auburn.

Auburn’s Johni Broome has proven to be a significant challenge for Ole Miss, and the Rebels will look to contain his scoring ability. The unpredictability of tournament games often results in closer contests, prompting analysts to suggest that Friday’s game may resemble the earlier 10-point game rather than the recent blowout.

The winner of the Ole Miss vs. Auburn match will advance to face the victor of the Tennessee-Texas matchup in the tournament semifinals on Saturday.

With a packed schedule ahead and an electric atmosphere expected in Nashville, fans can tune in for the action at noon CT on ESPN, with Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas calling the game and Jess Sims providing sideline reports.