Vols' final rally surprises Rebels

Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy thought Tennessee might have run out of punches with two minutes to play. He was wrong.

The eighth-ranked Vols rallied from a four-point deficit by scoring the last six points to defeat the 16th-ranked Rebels 85-83 Wednesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"I told the group when we were up four with two minutes to play, they (the Vols) were a little stunned," Kennedy said. "It was almost like a heavyweight fight. They had punched us hard and we didn't fall.

"I thought they got a little fatigued. We got some baskets in the open floor and beat them to a couple of loose balls, which wasn't the case for the majority of the game."

UT bounced back with a vengeance after Eniel Polynice's driving basket gave Ole Miss an 83-79 lead with 2:22 to play. That capped a 23-7 run by the Rebels, who trailed 72-60 with 11:01 left.

"We knew coming in that Tennessee is a tremendous team," Kennedy said. "I've said for the last three days to anybody who will listen that this is a legitimate Final Four team. They've got so many pieces, so many weapons.

"(UT coach) Bruce (Pearl) does a great job. They spread the floor, and we had a very hard time guarding them."

Perimeter shooting was decisive against the Rebels, who made eight of 25 3-point attempts, compared to UT's 12-for-26 shooting.

Tyler Smith's 3s resonated the most with the Rebels. Smith, who had made only four of 12 3-point tries in the first 13 games, hit two of three 3-pointers against Ole Miss.

"He's very, very difficult to guard off the bounce," Kennedy said. "And when he's making 3-pointers, come on. I've watched tape; you've seen him. Come on. When he does that, it takes his game to another level."

Smith showed his versatility on the game-winner, shifting the ball to his left hand and shooting over Kenny Williams with just over four seconds to play.

Chris Warren, Ole Miss' quicksilver 5-foot-10 freshman point guard, wasn't close on a hurried 35-footer before the buzzer.

"I didn't realize how much time was left," said Warren, who had a game-high 24 points. "I probably could have got a couple of more dribbles and got a better shot."

Despite the loss, Ole Miss confirmed its status as a contender for the SEC championship. After being picked in preseason to finish last in the West, the Rebels opened the season by winning a school-record 13 consecutive games.

"We've flown under the radar a long time," Kennedy said. "This group expects to win. They're not knocked out easily. They kept coming back and kept coming back, which speaks to what I think the makeup of this group is.

"That group is crushed in (the locker room). I've got grown men crying. We came in here with the full expectation of winning this game."

Not only did the Rebels overcome a 12-point disadvantage, they had to play most of the game without power forward Jermey Parnell, a strong post defender. Parnell, who played only seven minutes, got in early foul trouble after blocking three shots, then went to the locker room after suffering a twisted ankle with 17:21 to play.

"It took away a lot from us," Polynice said. "He's a big presence in the middle. He let his presence be known. Guys weren't coming in there easy."

The fiercely competitive game could be a preview of the SEC tournament, according to Warren.

"We could have played better," Warren said "We're gonna come back. We'll probably get them in the tournament."

Polynice hopes so.

"If we meet them in the tournament, it's going to be a whole new ballgame," he said.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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