What Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said about Ilias Kamardine after postgame kiss

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NASHVILLE — Ole Miss basketball guard Ilias Kamardine was probably the last person in Bridgestone Arena to see his huge 3-point shot go in.

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With 3:51 remaining in the No. 15 seed Rebels' quarterfinal SEC Tournament game against Alabama, Kamardine corralled a loose ball in the corner. With four seconds on the shot clock, he gathered, dribbled backward to create space and hoisted a contested 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer.

It swished to put No. 15 Ole Miss up seven. It was one of the biggest moments in the 80-79 win over No. 2 Alabama.

"I turned, because it was on my right side," Kamardine said. "I closed my eyes, and then I saw everybody standing up."

With the win over Alabama (23-9), Ole Miss (15-19) will face the winner of No. 11 Oklahoma (19-14) and No. 3 Arkansas (23-8) in the semifinals on March 14 at 2:30 p.m. CT.

The Rebels are seeking to become the first SEC team to win four games to make the conference championship game. A title would come with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Kamardine, a first-year transfer from France, scored 16 points on 7-for-15 shooting against the Crimson Tide. He scored with a mix of perimeter shooting and floaters. He also pulled in six rebounds and four assists with only one turnover.

"I just tried to be aggressive and play my game," Kamardine said. "Control the game and make the right play at the right moment."

Ole Miss coach Chris Beard kisses Ilias Kamardine after win

Ole Miss coach Chris Beard showed his appreciation for Kamardine on TV shortly after the game. As Kamardine did his postgame interview, Beard surprised him with a kiss on the cheek. They laughed about it.

Beard said he saw a lot of courage from Kamardine during the game.

"Ilias is a good player," Beard said. "When you talk about really good players, they have so many things in their bag ... Ilias has about three shots that he can get off at any time."

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: What Chris Beard said about Ilias Kamardine after Ole Miss win

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