by Jake Adams
Ole Miss is off to its best start in school history after escaping Auburn 63-61 despite an atrocious night from the free throw line that nearly cost the Rebels their 9-game winning streak. Ole Miss improved to 17-2 and 6-0 in the SEC. It's the best star ever for an Ole Miss basketball team.
But it was ugly.
Ole Miss trailed for much of the way and shot just 2 of 15 from the free throw line until Marshall Henderson made the most critical two of the night with six seconds remaining, clinching the win. Henderson had four 3-pointers, but his 15 points weren't enough to carry the Rebels, especially considering the team's free throw shooting issues. Murphy Holloway was off, too. He had just five points. Ole Miss needed help from someone else. Fortunately, sophomore LaDarius White was there to put the team on his back. Throughout the game White made critical baskets at critical times, whether it was one of his brilliant drives to the basket or a 3-pointer, he kept Ole Miss in it. White led the team in scoring, finishing with 17 points, including 7-for-9 shooting and and 3-for-3 from 3-point range.
Jarvis Summers scored 15 points for the Rebels.
Auburn (8-11, 2-4) has lost four consecutive SEC games.
It was the ninth straight win for Ole Miss, but the fourth consecutive slow start and nerve-racking ending. Eventually Ole Miss will pay the price for such a game, but it didn't last night. Actually, the Rebels played one of their worst games of the season, on the road, and still won. That in and of itself speaks volumes about this team and partially explains the 17-2 record. The best teams win even when it looks like they shouldn't, and that's precisely what happened on the Plains.
Perhaps the Rebels were looking past the Tigers just a little as the biggest week of the season looms ahead with Kentucky on Tuesday and a trip to No. 8 Florida Saturday. The last time Ole Miss jumped on an opponent early was when it faced then No. 10 Missouri a couple weeks back. Maybe a couple big games are just what this group needs.
Game story.
Box Score.
HENDERSON'S LEGEND GROWS: Marshall Henderson is quickly becoming the villain of the SEC in part because he's good and in part because of his theatrical antics after he scores, but his reputation is beginning to snowball and it now precedes him into opposing venues. The Auburn student section was in Henderson's ear for most of the game. After the victory Henderson let them know how he felt, and we have this nice gif to remember it by. The love around the conference for Henderson will only grow stronger...
MEANWHILE BACK IN OXFORD: The biggest recruiting weekend in Ole Miss history is ongoing. The story of the weekend was the surprise arrival of five-star defensive end and Mississippi State commit Chris Jones and his family for an official visit. With Robert Nkemdiche in Oxford on the same weekend it means Ole Miss is hosting the nation's best two defensive ends (not to mention Mississippi State's best recruit) at the same time. Kailo Moore already flipped from State to Ole Miss. If the same were to happen with Jones the meltdown in Starkville will be seen from hundreds of miles away and Starkville may become temporarily uninhabitable from the radiation. Current Ole Miss defensive end C.J. Johnson is Jones' player host and these tweets give us small clues at to how it may be going with Jones after round two on the Oxford Square last night. Read between the tweets...
My night just got 100x better 😊
— CJ Johnson ™ (@24Hour_Ent) January 27, 2013
#RebelNation if your in Oxford get on the square and show some love
— CJ Johnson ™ (@24Hour_Ent) January 27, 2013
Sometimes life is full of surprises
— CJ Johnson ™ (@24Hour_Ent) January 27, 2013
Just in case people forgot Ole Miss is only the best looking campus and has the most attractive girl in America. Just saying
— CJ Johnson ™ (@24Hour_Ent) January 27, 2013
Oxford is seriously love at first sight
— CJ Johnson ™ (@24Hour_Ent) January 27, 2013
Just look at meYou probably remember that C.J. Johnson was the highly regarded linebacker from Philadelphia who flipped from Mississippi State to Ole Miss late in the recruiting process a couple years ago. Is the same thing about to happen with Chris Jones? You know how C.J. Johnson feels about it....
— CJ Johnson ™ (@24Hour_Ent) January 27, 2013
Rebel Nation Magazine: Requests for subscription information for the new magazine, set to launch with a football preview issue this summer, continue to roll in. Thanks for all your emails! The new site, complete with sophisticated subscription links and the ability to pay by credit card, will be live sometime this week, but if you can't wait just send me an email (jake[at]omrebelnation.com) and I'll send you the info for how to subscribe by check. I can't believe how many emails I've already received. It's such an encouragement! Thanks!