The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
18-14,9-9SEC
Ole Miss
13-19,4-14SEC
Men's Basketball falls to Ole Miss, 76-66, in SEC Tournament First Round
03.11.2026 | Men's Basketball
Swain records a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds in Wednesday’s defeat in Nashville.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Junior guard/forward Dailyn Swain posted a team-high 22 points to go along with a game-high 12 rebounds, but Texas (18-14, 9-9 SEC) dropped a 76-66 decision to Ole Miss (13-19, 4-14 SEC) on Wednesday night in the SEC Tournament First Round at Bridgestone Arena. With the loss, the Longhorns will wait to hear their NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday (5 p.m. CT/CBS).
Swain converted a career-high 13-of-14 free throws while adding four assists in 38 minutes. Senior Jordan Pope tallied 16 points (4-9 threes), three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 37 minutes, while sophomore Matas Vokietaitis recorded 10 points, six rebounds and one block in 25 minutes.
Ole Miss scored the first five points of the contest and jumped out to a 9-2 lead following an Ilias Kamardine jumper at the 14:04 mark. The Longhorns trimmed the margin to 9-6 after a Vokietaitis layup with 12:47 left, but the Rebels responded with a 13-4 run over the next three minutes to build a 22-10 cushion following a Corey Chest tip-in at the 9:52 mark.
Ole Miss took a 27-17 advantage after a Malik Dia free throw with 7:01 remaining, before Texas used a 7-2 spurt over the next two-plus minutes to cut the deficit to 29-24 following a Swain three-pointer at the 4:54 mark. A Swain layup trimmed the margin to 33-27 with 3:06 left, but the Rebels closed the half with an 8-3 run to take a 41-30 lead into the break.
Texas opened the second half with an 11-5 run over the first four minutes to pull to within 46-41 after a Pope jumper at the 16:01 mark. The Longhorns trimmed the margin to 53-48 following a Pope three-pointer with 12:54 remaining, but the Rebels answered with a 9-1 spurt over the next four minutes to increase their cushion to 62-49 after an A.J. Storr layup at the 8:44 mark.
Texas responded with a 14-4 run over the next four-and-a-half minutes to pull to within 66-63 following a Pope three-pointer with 4:07 left. That was as close as the Longhorns would get the rest of the way, as Ole Miss closed the game on a 10-3 run to secure the victory.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
SEC Tournament First Round
Ole Miss 76, Texas 66
March 11, 2026
Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tenn.)
Attendance: 10,701
Team Notes
- With the loss, the Longhorns fall to 18-14 on the season and await their NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday (5 p.m. CT/CBS).
- Texas dropped to 54-46 all-time in league tournament games, including a 2-2 mark in two appearances at the SEC Tournament.
- UT fell to 10-8 in the all-time series against Ole Miss.
- The Longhorns won the rebound battle by a 35-34 margin. Texas has outrebounded 26 of its first 32 opponents this year.
- Texas converted 84.0-percent (21-25) from the free throw line.
- Set his career high in assists (3)
- Reached double figures in scoring (16 points) for the 25th time this season (32 games) and 96th time in his career (131 games)
- Recorded a double-double (team-high 22 points, team-best 12 rebounds) for the eighth time this season (32 games) and 11th time in his career (95 games)
- Set his career high in free throws made (13-14), previous: 12 vs. Mississippi St. (Jan. 3, 2026)
- Topped the 20-point mark for the 12th time this year and 13th time in his career
- Reached double figures in scoring for the 29th time this season and 54th time in his career
- Reached double digits in rebounds for the eighth time this year and 11th time in his career
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the 28th time this year (32 games) and 46th time in his career (66 games)
- Tied his career high in blocked shots (3)
