Ole Miss responded to that overtime loss at No. 1 Kentucky the way we all hoped it would - with confidence.
The Rebels controlled South Carolina from start to finish and pulled away for a 16-point win under the flickering lights of Tad Smith Coliseum.
Yep, early in the 1st half the lights went out at the Tad Pad - again. But after 25 minutes of darkness, some chewing gum and a little duct tape, the lights came back on....and so did the Rebels.
Jarvis Summers poured in 20 points, and Stefan Moody added 16 for Ole Miss. Moody's 16 were every bit as exciting and fun to watch as Marshall Henderson ever was. All came in the 2nd half after two quick fouls forced Moody to ride the pine for most of the 1st. Once back in the game though Moody played like a guy trying to make up for lost time. He made fantastic assists, drained 3-pointers that would have made Henderson proud, and drove the basket, drawing fouls and padding the lead with free throws.
If Summers is Mr. Consistency, then Moody is Mr. Excitement.
Together those two guys could take Ole Miss places this year if the level of play they've displayed in the last two games keeps up. A confident Snoop White (8 pts) also helps. The trio was 7 of 13 from 3-point range.
That kind of production can produce wins for the Rebels, especially if the guys down low continue to do their part. Sebastian Saiz (10 pts), M.J. Rhett, Dwight Coleby and Aaron Jones combined for 17 rebounds as the Rebels won the boards 33-32.
Ole Miss improved to 10-5 (1-1 SEC).
No, we shouldn't get carried away. This wasn't Kentucky or Florida. It was South Carolina, but the Gamecocks (9-5, 0-2 SEC) aren't terrible. They had a Top 10 win on their resume. Plus, this game wasn't about South Carolina as much as it was about Ole Miss showing some consistency. The Rebels showed at Kentucky that they have the ability to play well, the question was whether Andy Kennedy's up and down squad would play at that high level on a nightly basis as it grinds its way through an 18-game SEC schedule. If so, good things could still happen. If not, then it could be a long disappointing season.
The 65-49 win over South Carolina showed us the Rebels are capable of putting together back-to-back good games. Consistency and winning at home is what it will take for Ole Miss to put itself in the NCAA discussion. The Rebels are 66th in the NCAA's latest RPI. With a long season ahead, Ole Miss can play its way in, but it'll take many more games like today's. South Carolina was a positive start. At this point we can't ask for any more than that.
The next chance to show that consistency and get another home win is Wednesday when 12-3 LSU visits the Tad Pad (6 p.m.SEC Network).