Emotional Chris Beard gives thanks, vents frustration over free throws after Ole Miss loss

“What these guys did is they raised expectations, first for themselves and then for the program,” Beard said. “When we were at the Selection Show Sunday in March and the name came across, it wasn’t about, like, ‘We’ve made it.’ It was about, like, ‘Let’s get to work.’

“Six games in three weekends, and for that, I’ll forever be thankful.”

Beard’s demeanor remained calm as he transitioned from thankfulness to frustration with several foul calls favoring the No. 2-seeded Spartans. Ole Miss was called for 20 fouls in the loss while Michigan State finished with 12.

The Spartans got into the bonus early in both halves and finished shooting 19 of 22 from the foul line. The Rebels made nine of their 10 free throws.

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Mississippi guard Matthew Murrell (11) drives against Michigan State forward Coen Carr (55) during the first half in the NCAA Tournament South Regional Semifinal at State Farm Arena, Friday, March, 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

The Rebels’ physicality certainly hurt them as Michigan State closed the win out at the foul line, sinking all six of their free-throw attempts.

“Obviously, the difference in the game was the free throw differential, period,” Beard said. “We out-rebounded them, we took care of the basketball, it was a hell of a basketball game.

“Maybe there will be another time to talk about that, but I thought that was the difference in the game.”

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo immediately recognized Ole Miss’ physicality, too.

“First of all, that team was the toughest, most physical defensive team that we’ve played in years,” Izzo said. “It reminded me of the old Gene Keady, Clem Haskins teams when I started in this profession.”

That physicality took its toll on the Spartans early. The Rebels led for the first 32 minutes of the game before the Spartans earned a lead.

Ole Miss had its chances to take it back, but the Rebels missed three point-blank shots in the final 90 seconds while Michigan State made its last five shots from the field.

Ole Miss had scored on plenty of second chance looks throughout the game. The Rebels outscored the Spartans 13-6 on second chance points and pulled down 12 offensive rebounds, compared to Michigan State’s five.

Rebel point guard Sean Pedulla shined with tough makes from all three levels but could not sink a potential go-ahead layup at the 1:51 mark.

The team with 27 straight NCAA Tournament appearances and its second Sweet Sixteen in the last three years proved more poised down the stretch.

“It just came down to which team made the fewest mistakes,” Ole Miss forward Matthew Murrell said. “It came down to execution, and they got the upper hand in the end.”

Michigan State’s Jaden Akins followed Pedulla’s miss with a bucket that took the lead for good, 65-63.

Then Ole Miss forward Dre Davis missed a contested layup and a tip-in off his own miss on the next possession. Jase Richardson wrestled a defensive rebound away and the Spartans earned their first two-possession lead of the night 18 seconds later.

The Rebels were fighting for their second upset in a March Madness tournament with little underdog success. Ole Miss knocked off No. 3 seed Iowa State in the second round, adding to an impressive list of upsets this season.

Beard’s Rebels upset eventual No. 2 seed Alabama on the road earlier this year and beat fellow Sweet Sixteen teams Tennessee and Kentucky at home.

It’s the kind of year that Beard can certainly build on as the Rebels work to become one of the SEC’s top programs.

“You dread that walk back to the locker room to talk to your guys, but this year just felt different,” Beard said. “I’ve never been this kind of emotion when a season ends, but I’m just thankful for these guys, man, to be in the Sweet 16 in the second year at Ole Miss.

“From a coaching standpoint, you don’t want to get beat in the last game of the season, and I didn’t think we did. I thought today we just ran out of time.”