Ole Miss defeats Alabama A&M 80-66

Ole Miss Dominates Alabama A&M in Non-Conference Thriller

The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss played host to a high-flying non-conference matchup between the Rebels and visiting Alabama A&M on Thursday night, with Ole Miss emerging victorious 80-66.

The game got off to a brisk pace, with both teams trading baskets in the early going. However, it wasn't long before Ole Miss began to pull away, leading at halftime by a 44-29 margin. The Rebels' offense was clicking, with Malik Dia leading the way with 27 points on 3-5 three-point shooting and 47.4% field goal accuracy.

Alabama A&M refused to back down, however, as Sami Pissis led the Bulldogs in scoring with 17 points, including 3-5 three-point shooting of his own. Kintavious Dozier added 15 points and five rebounds for Alabama A&M, but it wasn't enough to stem the Rebels' tide.

Ole Miss's balanced attack proved too much for the visiting team to handle, as the Rebels outrebounded their opponents 33-30 and committed just eight turnovers to Alabama A&M's 11. The Rebels also outscored the Bulldogs in the paint, 34-18, and on fast breaks, 10-5.

Malik Dia was the clear standout for Ole Miss, with his impressive all-around performance earning him the Game Leaders honors. Ilias Kamardine chipped in eight assists to complement Dia's efforts, while Malik's dominance on the glass added an extra layer of depth to the Rebels' attack.

The win marked a significant bounce-back for Ole Miss after a recent stretch of losses, and sets up the Rebels for a crucial matchup against a ranked opponent next week. Alabama A&M, meanwhile, will look to regroup and refocus ahead of its own challenging schedule.

Advanced Statistics:

Ole Miss (HOME) Game Stats:

* Field Goals: 27/50 (54.0%)

* eFG%: 62.0%

* True Shooting%: 63.3%

Alabama A&M (AWAY) Game Stats:

* Field Goals: 22/51 (43.0%)

* eFG%: 52.0%

* Turnover Ratio: 17.7