Ole Omit carries an 11-1 document into its pre-conference finale at Memphis on Saturday.
The No. 16 Rebels have received 5 video games in a row since a two-point loss to then-No. 13 Purdue past due closing month, their handiest blemish up to now.
Ole Omit used to be no longer at its highest in the newest time out, an 80-62 victory towards Queens closing Saturday, however that result did exhibit the flexibility that the Rebels have evolved within the buildup towards Southeastern Convention play.
3-point taking pictures has been an important a part of the staff’s good fortune, however the Rebels had a sub-par efficiency towards Queens. They rank 6th within the SEC in each 3-pointers made according to recreation (9.4) and 3-point taking pictures accuracy (36.3 %), however towards Queens they shot 7 of 27 (25.9 %).
“How do you win a basketball recreation on an evening the place the pictures aren’t happening?” Ole Omit trainer Chris Beard stated. “You have to to find any other class.”
For the Rebels, that class used to be field-goal makes an attempt. They took 14 extra pictures than the Royals and wound up with 8 extra area targets. A key to that merit used to be ball safety, as Ole Omit dedicated simply 8 turnovers to Queens’ 21. The Rebels logged 11 steals, in line with their reasonable of 10.4 steals according to recreation (tied for 8th within the nation).
“That gave us extra pictures than our opponent,” Beard stated of the stable ballhandling.
When the 3-pointers were not falling, Ole Omit began getting the ball inside of and completed with a 42-24 merit in issues within the paint.
“That more or less opened issues up for us,” stated guard Sean Pedulla, who led the Rebels with 25 issues and made 9 of 14 field-goal makes an attempt.
Ole Omit is aware of overcoming a selected weak spot would possibly not be as simple towards Memphis (9-3) or when SEC play starts subsequent week.
The Tigers are taking part in their ultimate pre-league recreation ahead of opening American Athletic Convention motion subsequent week. They’re coming off a 79-66 house loss towards Mississippi State on Dec. 21.
The back-to-back video games towards SEC groups comes on the finish of a nonconference agenda that still featured Missouri, UConn, Michigan State, Auburn, Clemson and Virginia. The Tigers are 5-2 towards power-conference foes.
“We requested for this agenda,” Memphis trainer Penny Hardaway stated. “We are going to must handle it.”
Hardaway stated, as he did after previous losses to Auburn and Arkansas State, “This one loss is not going to outline who we’re as a result of it is about all the season.”
However, he stated the only disappointing factor in regards to the defeat towards Mississippi State used to be, “I did not really feel like we fought as onerous as we can have. … We now have simply were given to continue to grow and be told from each recreation that we lose.”
Memphis ranks tenth within the nation in 3-point taking pictures accuracy (40.5 %), however the Tigers have made simply 26 % (13 of fifty) from lengthy vary of their previous two video games.
Because the Tigers attempt to finalize their rotation and roles getting into convention play, Hardaway stated, “We are taking part in a couple of guys a ton of mins.”
8 Memphis avid gamers are seeing double-digit taking part in time. The staff’s best 3 scorers — PJ Haggerty (22.5 issues according to recreation), Tyrese Hunter (15.9 ppg) and Colby Rogers (11.6 ppg) — are averaging 37.0, 35.3 and 31.8 mins, respectively.
–Box Stage Media
