SEC Tournament Bracket Update: Ole Miss Dispatches Scandal-Ridden Auburn In First Round

Playing just hours after revelations surfaced of an alleged point-shaving operation happening in their midst, the 10th-seeded Auburn Tigers lost to the seventh-seeded Mississippi Rebels, 68-54, in the first round of the SEC Tournament.

The Tigers kept it close for most of the first half before the Rebels started to pull away, extending their lead to double-digits just over two minutes into the second half. Auburn struggled to shoot the ball from just about everywhere on the floor — 32.7 percent from the field, 23.8 percent from deep and 65 percent from the foul line — and committed 13 turnovers, always a recipe for a tough day at the gym. Frankie Sullivan led the team in scoring with 15 points, but shot a woeful 1-11 from behind the arc, which isn't the way to pull off an upset.

The Rebels didn't fare much better, actually. This wasn't one of the prettier games you'll see, as the Rebs turned the ball over 18 times, though they did shoot a palatable 43.8 percent from the floor. They were led by a fantastic performance from junior guard Nick Williams, who scored 22 points on 9-14 shooting. Forward Murphy Holloway had an impressive double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. They go on to play the second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers on Friday.