Bah Humbug

Don't watch these highlights if you want to know what actually happened in Ole Miss' 79-76 loss to Mercer on Sunday. Somehow they only include the shots the Rebels made and conveniently leave out the game-winning, soul-crushing 3-pointer by Mercer's Langston Hall delivered with just .6 seconds on the clock.

Ole Miss fell to 8-3 on the season, and the unexpected loss did leave a bad-tasting burn in the mouth - like unflavored cold medicine with no water to chase it down.

It was an up and down game that ended in heartbreak. Warning: Those predisposed to the Christmas blues should just look away.

The Rebels appeared to be the ones suffering from the Christmas blues early.

Ole Miss came out completely flat against an opponent they may have been looking past in favor of wondering what presents awaited them under the Christmas tree. Mercer led almost the entire way, took a 41-29 lead into halftime and built it to 16 early in the 2nd half before the Rebels came roaring back with a 31-8 run.

For a few minutes there everything was going right.

With the comeback complete it seemed like the most Wonderful Time of the Year in the Tad Pad as Ole Miss built a 67-60 lead with 6:44 remaining.

The 7,794 Ole Miss fans in attendance on Dollar Day were probably thinking it was the best dollar they'd ever spent. "Merry Christmas!"

Or so we thought.

But then Ole Miss choked the lead away like Cousin Eddie's dog on a bone ("just nosin' through the garbage, Clark). Or, as head coach Andy Kennedy put it...

"We had them down 67-60 with about three minutes to play and missed three layups. It breathed life back in them and put us in a position where one plays beats us. That’s what happened.” 

Only it wasn't that painless.

Ole Miss still had a chance to win.

Henderson, a consistent free throw shooter, missed a couple critical ones in the final minute.

The crowd (and me) was in disbelief as the 2nd one konged off the basket. More pain.

But hope sprang anew when Henderson hit a clutch three to tie the score with 10 seconds remaining. And just when it seemed like overtime was on the horizon and Ole Miss going to narrowly escape a disastrous loss to Mercer Hall delivered all the switches and ashes down the Tad Pad chimney that a Rebel could want with a holiday-crushing 3-pointer.

Bah humbug.