'Matt Made The Right Play': Rebels' Chris Beard Speaks on Controversial Final Play vs. South Carolina

The Ole Miss Rebels nearly came back versus the No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday night, but a controversial no-call dashed their hopes.

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels lost another Southeastern Conference matchup on the road on Tuesday night to the No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks, but Chris Beard's squad nearly mounted a comeback at the end of the game.

The Rebels were losing 53-36 at the first media timeout of the second half, but by the time the final whistle blew, Ole Miss had only lost 68-65. To top it off, South Carolina did not score a single point in the last three minutes and 47 seconds of play, nearly giving the Rebels a chance to steal the game.

Beard spoke with the media after the game about what changed for his team coming out of halftime.

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"Really no adjustments, just trying to get back to what the original game plan was supposed to be," Beard told reporters. "We wanted to try to be the most aggressive team tonight, understanding that that would open us up to some weaknesses. In the first half we did not do that, we were not the most aggressive team. I did think we were more aggressive in the last 20 minutes of play, and that's why we got it back to a one-possession game, that really in my mind came down to the last call of the game - or no-call."

The no call that Beard is referring to is the final three-point attempt by Matthew Murrell that was not called for a shooting foul, which would have sent the game to overtime had Murrell gotten the chance to take his free throws. Beard explained what he saw on the final play of the game.

Rebels Lose Nail-Biter on the Road to Gamecocks

"I don't think a game ever comes down to one play, but certainly on that play," Beard said. "We played that, from our perspective, as perfect as we could. We got the defensive stop, we had enough time on the clock, we got the ball to the player we wanted to get the ball to, Matt Murrell. 

"There's a human element to this game. You guys saw the play, I'm sure it'll be played on video nationally. I'm not so sure they weren't trying to foul in that possession, but I can't speak for [South Carolina]. I thought Matt made the right play."

The Rebels are now set to take on the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats in Rupp Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Kentucky holds a 16-6 overall record (6-4 SEC), but still has to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs this weekend before its battle with Ole Miss. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN.