Mississippi @ South Carolina preview

Mississippi at South Carolina

Last Meeting ( Mar 7, 2018 ) Mississippi 84, South Carolina 85

South Carolina hosts Ole Miss on Tuesday in a contest in which the winner will gain the inside track for a double-bye in the SEC tournament. The Gamecocks and Rebels are tied for fourth place in the league standings, and the victor of their matchup will take a one-game lead for the final double-bye and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Rebels have won four straight to surge in the standings and are coming off a 75-65 home win over Missouri on Saturday. Ole Miss has been dominant on defense during its winning streak, holding opponents to 63.8 points per game while forcing an average of 19.3 turnovers. The Gamecocks have leveled off after a 4-0 start to SEC play and are trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since then as they look to build off Saturday’s 84-77 home triumph over Texas A&M. The Rebels hold a 20-19 edge in the all-time series, but the Gamecocks have won 11 of 13 meetings at home and posted an 85-84 victory in last year’s conference tournament.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT OLE MISS (18-7, 8-4 SEC): The Rebels have been getting it done at both ends of the floor, averaging 11.3 steals during their four-game winning streak while continuing to shoot well from 3-point range. The backcourt pair of Breein Tyree (18.4 points) and Terence Davis (15.6, 6.1 rebounds) are the highest-scoring duo in the SEC, and the former has upped his production to 22 points per game over his last seven contests. Devontae Shuler (9.7 points, 1.9 steals) will be playing in his home state of South Carolina for the first time as a Rebel.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (13-12, 8-4): The Gamecocks split two games last week despite Chris Silva (14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds) averaging 19.5 points and 14.5 rebounds while posting double-doubles against Tennessee and Texas A&M. Silva has come on strong in conference play to surpass freshman guard A.J. Lawson (13.8 points) for the team’s scoring lead. Hassani Gravett (11.1 points) also averages double digits in points and is shooting at a 42.4 percent clip from 3-point range.

TIP-INS

1. The Rebels lead the SEC and rank eighth nationally in free-throw percentage (77.3).

2. South Carolina G Tre Campbell is shooting 51 percent from 3-point range in conference play, including 15-for-25 over his last five games.

3. The Gamecocks matched the school record with 16 3-pointers against Texas A&M.

PREDICTION: Ole Miss 75, South Carolina 71