Many fans were left wondering what happened in the Tad Smith Coliseum after their Ole Miss Rebels fell to the 13th-ranked Florida Gators on Thursday night. The start for the Rebels went so well when they jumped out to a lead early, leading the Gators by 10 early in the first half.

The score at the half was 38-28 in favor of Ole Miss, but they couldn't maintain that lead for the entire game. The Rebels looked good during the first half and it was looking like a blow-out was in the making. Ole Miss looked like it was going to get their ninth straight home win Thursday night, but fell four points shy of that goal. Florida controlled the Rebels for basically the entire second half, which gave them the push for victory.

Ole Miss is looking to regroup quickly, as they have another test at home Saturday against the Gamecocks of South Carolina. South Carolina is coming off a win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, which gives them some momentum coming into Oxford for Saturday night's match-up.

Thursday night, it seemed as though the Rebels gave the game away to Florida with their second half effort. On the night, Ole Miss committed 14 turnovers and were not able to contain the Gators. They seemed to make poor shot selections as well. Maybe they panicked when they had a defensive breakdown, or maybe it was just one of those nights where nothing went their way. 

Most around campus are hoping it was just one of those nights because there's another game to be played in a little over 24 hours, and wins are precious this time of the year. If Ole Miss wants to earn some more credibility when the NCAA Tournament conversation comes up, they need to get some quality wins during this portion of the season.

The leading scorer for the Rebels in the loss was Terrance Henry, with 21 points, but he also committed three turnovers. Turnovers have plagued Ole Miss all season long, and they had an opportunity to shoot a three-pointer to tie, but committed a costly turnover in the closing seconds instead to give it back to Florida. After a foul by Ole Miss, Florida sealed the deal with a free-throw to make the final score 64-60.

South Carolina is struggling though, so Ole Miss may have an opportunity to get some momentum before travelling to Tuscaloosa on February 4th to take on an Alabama team that is currently on a four game losing streak, and could very possibly be on a 5-game losing streak when they travel to Oxford.

The crowd at the Florida game was crazy, and the fans really came out to support the Rebels. The hope is that the same intensity and support is represented Saturday night for the South Carolina game. There is no better atmosphere than playing at home and having the crowd stand behind you.

Ole Miss has to eliminate the turnovers and poor shot selection and they will be fine. They seriously are not that far off from being great. Right now, they are struggling because of their issues with turning the ball over and taking greedy shots. If they work those kinks out, they will have an opportunity to win some big games down the road.

The game on Saturday between the Ole Miss Rebels and the South Carolina Gamecocks is scheduled for a 6:00 PM tip-off in the Tad Pad, and will be televised on Fox Sports Network if you are unable to make the game.

If you're at the game, I'll be there. Come and find me and say hello. As always, thanks for reading and Hotty Toddy!