2013 SEC Tournament Final: Ole Miss Clinches Automatic Bid

Credit: Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports

All week long, the Ole Miss Rebels were sitting squarely on the bubble.

That’s a worry they can erase now after as Andy Kennedy’s team is officially in the 2013 NCAA tournament following a 66-63 victory over Florida in today’s SEC title game.

As has been the case in recent games, Ole Miss fell behind by double digits in the first half, but found their spark in the second half.

Marshall Henderson was his usual self, putting up 21 points while also giving his own version of the Gator chomp during a Rebel run late in the second half. And while Henderson was certainly a key component, the player of the game for Ole Miss was Murphy Holloway.

Holloway went 11-for-14 from the field in scoring 23 points on the day, while also adding 10 rebounds to his tally. He was a complete force in the paint and he made some huge plays when Ole Miss needed it the most.

The Gators just couldn’t make the shots that they needed to down the stretch, which has been a concern all year for this team. Erik Murphy had an opportunity to tie it up with seconds remaining but couldn’t connect on a turnaround jumper in the paint.

Now both teams will await their seeding when the brackets are announced at 6 PM ET.

Most thought the Rebels would be playing in a play-in game in Dayton with a loss, but now they should jump up a line with the win. Meanwhile, Florida is probably looking at the three or four line.

We’ll know in a few hours. But for now, you can bet Henderson and company will be celebrating the team’s first SEC tournament crown in 32 years.