Magnolia matchup set

By By Jeff Byrd / sports editor
March 15, 2003
NEW ORLEANS It was a milestone win for Ole Miss Thursday in the opening game of the Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament at the Louisiana Superdome.
Not only did the 62-56 victory over South Carolina hand head coach Rod Barnes his 100th career win, it also sets up a historic meeting with arch-rival Mississippi State.
Ole Miss (14-14) advanced to play the SEC West Champion Bulldogs at noon today in a second-round game at the Superdome. South Carolina finished its season at 12-16.
Barnes made his customary thanks to the Almighty before reflecting on the Rebels' first-round tournament win.
Making it happen on this day were senior forward Justin Reed and senior postman Derrick Allen. Reed scored a game-high 22 points, and Allen, though outsized by the bigger Gamecocks, pulled down a whopping 16 rebounds.
Kitchings, who was South Carolina's top rebounder and third leading scorer, played just 16 minutes and registered no points and just two rebounds.
Ole Miss never trailed in the contest, but it had to survive a few anxious moments near the end of the game.
The Rebels led by as many as 10 points before the Gamecocks finally began warming up from the field, with about 12 minutes to play.
USC got the deficit down to one point on three occasions, the first coming with 10:43 to play following a basket by Jarrod Gerald.
Ole Miss was able to find away to respond each time USC inched close to its lead.
A three-pointer by Chris Warren, who finished as the Gamecocks' top scorer for the day with 20 points, made it a 40-39 game, with 8:46 to play.
Trey Pearson quelled the threat for the Rebels hitting a three-pointer of his own at the 8:14-mark to put Ole Miss back up 43-39.
It was still a four-point game until Emmanuel Wade hit a trey to put the Rebels up 50-43, with 4:43 remaining.
But back came USC with a basket by Warren and two free throws from Carlos Powell to make it 50-48, with 3:17 left in the contest.
The Gamecocks created a turnover just past midcourt, trailing 53-51, allowing for a chance to tie or take the lead.
Instead, Powell's shot in the lane was off-line, and Allen grabbed perhaps the biggest of his 16 boards of the game.
Ole Miss was able to set up a two-shot foul for Reed, who made both for a 55-51 lead, with 1:40 left.
South Carolina would again close the gap to 55-54 when Powell canned a three, with 1:18 left.
David Sanders answered the challenge for the Rebels scoring on a five-foot, scoop-shot runner for a three-point lead.
Down three, USC still had a chance to tie the game.
Instead they were forced to take a two-point shot by Chris Eidson. The shot was off its mark, and Allen tipped the rebound away from the Gamecocks into the arms of teammate Aaron Harper.
Two free throws by Wade, with 25 seconds left, essentially locked up the win.
Free throws were a key. The Rebels went 18-of-20 from the line.
They also out rebounded the bigger Gamecocks 32-24.
Sanders scored 12 of his 22 in the first half to stake the Rebels to a 25-19 halftime lead. Wade and Allen each had 10 points.
Eidson chipped in 11 points, and Powell had 10 for the Gamecocks.