No. 15 South Carolina hosts Ole Miss in an SEC matchup

The No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks will host the Ole Miss Rebels on Tuesday at Colonial Life Arena. The teams will take the court at 6:30 p.m. for tip-off.

The SEC matchup marks the 10th game of SEC play for both teams and the first time the two programs meet this season. The teams last met in March, when, at the time, No. 13 Ole Miss beat No. 12 South Carolina 67-61 in the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament.

South Carolina is second in men’s SEC play, trailing behind Alabama, with a 7-2 record. The Gamecocks have only lost to Georgia and Alabama in conference play, but did pick up a non-conference loss against Clemson in early December. On the other side of the court, the Ole Miss Rebels are 18-4 in the season, only having lost to conference opponents. In the SEC, the Rebels rank No. 5 (5-4) having lost to No. 12 Auburn, twice, No. 6 Tennessee and LSU.

South Carolina on a Winning Streak

South Carolina enters the matchup with five consecutive wins as they come off a 72-62 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. The Gamecocks are averaging 72.7 points, 36.5 rebounds and 15.5 assists per game as try to secure their ninth win in the past 11 games.

The Gamecocks’ success shines in free throws, as the team shoots 72.2% from the line. As to the rest of the court, the Gamecocks are 44% from the floor and 34.6% from deep.

Meechie Johnson Jr. leads the team, averaging 14.9 points per game, while shooting 41.2% from the floor. Forward B.J. Mack falls right behind Johnson Jr., averaging 13.8 points per game while also leading the team in rebounds (5.1 per game).

Bang! #Gamecocks🐔🏀 // #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/Qr7voXCXwc

— Gamecock Men's Basketball (@GamecockMBB) February 3, 2024

Rebels Need a Win

The Rebels are coming off a heart-wrenching home loss against No. 16 Auburn that ended 91-77. Ole Miss led the Tigers in the first 20 minutes, entering the half with 44- 34. Ultimately, the Rebels lost control, allowing the Tigers to outscore them 56-33 in the second half.

Matthew Murrell leads Ole Miss in points as he averages 16.8 per game, while Allen Flanigan does not fall too far behind, averaging 15.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

The Rebels are averaging 76.9 points per game, while shooting 45.7 from the floor, 38.7% from deep and 75% from the free-throw line.

Flan 💪@Allen_Flanigan2 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/PIagvWvLBR

— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) February 4, 2024

Next Up

Following Tuesday’s game, the Gamecocks and the Rebels will meet once more this season when the Rebels host another matchup on February 24.