OXFORD, Miss. -- It looked like the same script.

Tennessee, its No. 1 seed hopes hanging by a thread and the final shot. It worked four days ago when Jahmai Mashack hit the game-winner to beat Alabama at the buzzer. Late Wednesday night at SJB Pavilion, it didn't

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

After Jaemyn Brakefield, who bullied the Vols in the paint in the second half, scored on a put-back of his own miss to put Ole Miss ahead with seven seconds left, Tennessee had chance when Igor Milicic Jr. threw up an open shot as time expired, but it bounced off the rim, and the Rebels handed them a 78-76 defeat.

The Vols (24-6, 11-6 SEC) led at halftime and looked at times like they were going to pull away. But the Rebels (21-9, 10-7) didn't go away, fighting their way back to take the lead and then go back-and-forth until Brakefield put them up for good.

The 6-foot-8 Brakefiled scored all 19 of his points in the second half, costing Tennessee as it failed to come up with enough stops late.

The Vols’ couldn’t get those stop because Ole Miss beat them at their own game. In an uncharacteristic performance, Tennessee was out-scored in the paint 46-20 and struggled to maintain and inside presence.

Jordan Gainey led the team with 17 points and Chaz Lanier scored 15.

Darlinstone Dubar entered off the bench out of the first media timeout and hit a 3-pointer on his first offensive possession.

It was one of three lead-changing shots for Tennessee in the first five minutes of a seesaw battle. Chaz Lanier, who had accounted for much of the Vols' scoring production early, hit the other three that put them in front.

Ole Miss answered just about everything, though. Sean Pedulla and Matthew Murrell tallied two 3-pointers to five the Rebels the lead twice before Tennessee stretched its lead to seven with back-to-back scores from Jordan Gainey and Dubar to go up 21-14.

The Vols followed it up with a scoring drought that last for more than three minutes. The good news was outside of a Jaylen Murray three, Ole Miss couldn't take advantage and Igor Milicic Jr. ended the scoreless stretch with a corner 3-pointer that swelled Tennessee's lead to 24-17 with 8:21 left in the half.

The Rebels continued to struggle on the offensive end, going nearly four minutes without a field goal. Malik Dia finally had a jumper fall, but Lanier answered back with another three.

Ole Miss started putting together more consistent scoring possessions, though. Murrell finished off a drive with a score and was fouled on his way up. The ensuring free throw dwindled the Vols' lead to three at 29-26 with less than six minutes to go.

Dre Davis then added a three to draw the Rebels even at 29-29 amid a 9-0 run.

Gainey quelled that run briefly at the free throw line, going 1-of-2, but Phillips picked up his second foul on the Ole Miss inbound and had the Rebels in the bonus as a result.

Tennessee forced a stop on a turnover that led to a three from Gainey to put the Vols up four, but another and-1 disrupted their momentum and Mikeal Brown-Jones three-point sequence trimmed Ole Miss' deficit to 35-34 with 2:40 left.

Milicic prevented the Rebels from going in front when he blocked Dia's shot at the rim. Tennessee got the ball back, then Lanier laced his third 3-pointer to push the Vols' lead to 38-36 with just over a minute remaining.

Jahami Mashack added another, and Tennessee went into the intermission with momentum, up 41-36.

The Vols held Ole Miss without a field goal for more than three minutes to begin the second half, but Tennessee's only points in that span were from Felix Okpara and the Rebels rattled off a 6-0 run to get back within a possession, 44-42 with 15:49 left.

The bleeding continued for the Vols out of a timeout. Murrell stole a pass away and scored in transition to make it an 8-0 Ole Miss run and even the score again at 44-44.

Tennessee had weathered another Rebels push when Gainey put it back in the lead with free throws and Gainey knocked down a three to lead 51-46 with inside of 13 minutes on the clock.

Ole Miss got back within a possession before the Okpara scored twice to create some separation at 56-49, but the Rebels answered again on consecutive scores from Brakefiled to cut the Vols' lead to two.

Turnover continued to plague Tennessee, helping spark another Ole Miss. One turnover led to a Murray score in transition to tie it at 58-58. Zeigler provided a much-needed 3-pointer, but Brakefield drew a foul a made shot and his free throw again drew the Rebels even with 7:20 left.

And the Brakefield show continued. His jumper gave Ole Miss the lead, 63-61, but Gainey was fouled on a drive and made both free throws. Then he made the go-ahead 3-pointer to provide another resounding answer.

The Rebels found answers, too. Enough to take a four-point lead on scores from Murrell and Davis with 2:28 remaining, leading to a Tennessee timeout to try and put together some stops.

The Vols got a few, then Okpara finished off a lob pass on the inbound to end a two minute scoring drought to pull within one possession with under a minute to go.

Ole Miss appeared to have landed the final blow on its following possession, though as Brakefiled beat the shot clock to go ahead four with 53 seconds left. Milicic swung back, though, sinking a deep 3-pointer that he was fouled.

His free throw tied it, 76-76. He was nearly the hero again in the final seconds, putting up a game-tying attempt to try and force overtime, but missed.

Tennessee will host South Carolina in its regular season finale on Saturday before heading into the SEC Tournament in Nashville next week.

The Gamecocks (12-18, 2-15) upset the Vols in their last visit to Knoxville a year ago, but have struggled, losing their first 13 league games. They've won two of their last four, but are coming off of a 73-64 loss to Georgia earlier this week.

Tip-off at Food City Center is set for 2 p.m. ET (TV: SEC Network).

– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @ByNoahTaylor, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media.