NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Texas came to Music City needing at least a victory to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume. The Longhorns’ former coach put a dent into those hopes Wednesday night. Chris Beard led Mississippi to a 76-66 victory over Texas on Wednesday night in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Beard was fired as coach of the Longhorns in 2023, midway through his second season. He was hired by Ole Miss shortly thereafter. Beard says his team is in “survive-and-advance mode” after a rough season. Texas is 18-14 and hoping to get a spot in the March Madness bracket.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 24 points, shooting 5 for 10 from 3-point range, and Oklahoma beat South Carolina 86-74 in an opening-round game of the SEC Tournament. The 11th-seeded Sooners advance to play sixth-seeded Texas A&M. Kobe Knox scored 20 points for South Carolina. South Carolina built a 29-19 in the game’s first 10 minutes and the Gamecocks led 39-28 after Kobe Knox made a 3-pointer with 5:24 before halftime. Down the stretch, the Sooners outscored South Carolina 14-3 to tie it at 42 at halftime. Oklahoma emerged from the break continuing its offensive spurt and outscored the Gamecocks 13-5 in the first five minutes of the second half and led 56-47. Oklahoma led by double digits for the final 7:53.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Malik Dia scored 23 points, AJ Storr added 18 off the bench, and 15th-seeded Mississippi knocked off No. 10-seed Texas 76-66 in the second round of the SEC Tournament. Mississippi, led by former Texas coach Chris Beard, put a dent in the Longhorns’ NCAA Tournament aspirations. After losing five of their last six games, the Longhorns' hopes are fading. Ole Miss led 60-48 in the second half before Texas chipped away over the next six minutes — mostly at the free throw line —to get within 66-63 with four minutes remaining. Storr then scored eight points over the final 2 1/2 minutes while Texas only managed a free throw from Dailyn Swain and a dunk by Nic Codie.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Otega Oweh scored 23 points, including a key jumper with 1:12 remaining, and Brandon Garrison added 17 points off the bench as No. 9 seed Kentucky beat 16th-seeded LSU 87-82 in the opening game of the SEC Tournament. Kentucky (20-12) advances to play No. 8 seed Missouri in the second round on Thursday. The Wildcats had not played on a Wednesday at this tournament since the SEC brought the event back in 1979. Garrison, who entered with just two made 3-pointers on the season, made back-to-back 3-pointers during an 8-0 run that gave Kentucky a 73-64 lead with 9:32 remaining. Oweh grabbed his own miss and brought it out to the 3-point arc before sinking a jumper from the free-throw line for an 83-76 lead.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA selection committee says it sticks to the usual rules for the March Madness bracket, even with travel and injury issues. On Wednesday, chair Keith Gill said organizers see more pressure on charter flights and security this year. He pointed to the partial government shutdown, spring break travel, and heavy demand for planes. The NCAA has already warned schools about fewer charter options and possible TSA delays. Teams still have to travel, and winners get priority during the busiest times.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt women's basketball guard Mikayla Blakes likes being mentioned as the first sophomore since A’ja Wilson in 2016 to win Southeastern Conference player of the year. Wilson also won a national title at South Carolina. That's a bar Blakes hopes to meet in her own push to turn Vanderbilt into a perennial Final Four threat. She is a big reason Vanderbilt is ranked sixth with a program-record 27 wins waiting for the NCAA Tournament.
UNDATED (AP) — It’s unlikely anybody that played Tuesday is going to win the ACC Tournament. It was still an important day, with three bubble teams trying to squeeze out as many wins as possible before Selection Sunday. Stanford and Virginia Tech failed to do that, losing to Pittsburgh and Wake Forest. But SMU can feel a little better about its position after beating Syracuse. In the Big 12 Tournament, Cincinnati picked up a win over Utah. The Bearcats have won seven of nine to enter the NCAA Tournament conversation. Wright State, Hofstra, Siena and Gonzaga earned automatic bids to the men’s tournament Tuesday.
