'Winning Time': Ole Miss Basketball's Sean Pedulla Breaks Down Crucial Win Over Texas

Ole Miss basketball won what felt like a 'must-win' game on Wednesday night.
The Rebels defeated Texas 72-69 in a wire-to-wire gam, which saw the Rebels down by as much as 13 points at one point in the first half. Ole Miss continued to fight and ultimately pulled ahead in the final five minutes.
"We call it 'winning game' at the end of a game, the last 4-5 minutes. And like last week [a 63-62 loss to Texas A&M], it was the same feel," said senior guard Sean Pedulla in an interview postgame. "We were in control down the stretch, and we gave it away, had some bad turnovers. But today, I thought we fixed that."
Fix that the Rebels did. Through 40 minutes of play, Ole Miss committed a season-low four turnovers and also made its free throws down the stretch. Ole Miss executed what it calls "winning time" perfectly.
"It was a point of emphasis during games, just taking care of the ball at the end of games," Pedulla said. "Not taking any bad shots, and at the end of games, getting to the paint, getting free throws, that's how you win."
Accomplishing those things undoubtedly won the game for Ole Miss and gets the Rebels back on track for their toughest test of the season: a home showdown with No. 1 Auburn this coming Saturday.
An often overlooked aspect to the Rebels' performance is the home environment which should be raucous come game time. With strong attendance at the last two home games, Saturday marks a big opportunity for the Rebel faithful.
"Having a home fanbase and a student section that's sold out with an hour and a half before the game is pretty special, and you don't get that everywhere you go," Pedulla said. "I think for the other teams coming in and shooting around an hour and half before the game, and seeing that, it means something.
"When we're at an away game, that means something to us, too. It shows that the fans are passionate. And they were definitely huge in winning time down the stretch at the end of the game, and definitely helped us."
Tip-off for Saturday's game is set for 1 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN.