Warren led four players who scored in double figures for the Rebels (20-9, 8-7 Southeastern Conference). Zach Graham scored 16, Terrico White added 15 and Murphy Holloway had 12.
Warren hit all five of his 3-pointers during the first half, when he was perfect from behind the arc.
Bo Spencer scored 20 points to lead LSU (10-19, 1-14).
The game was tight for the first 35 minutes, and Ole Miss held a 58-55 lead with 6:34 left. But the Rebels closed on a 14-4 run.
The win gives Mississippi coach Andy Kennedy 20 wins for the third time in four seasons with the Rebels. Now Mississippi must win at Arkansas on Saturday to clinch a first-round bye in next week’s SEC tournament.
LSU closes the regular season at home against Georgia on Saturday.
LSU Head Coach Trent Johnson
On LSU’s play in the last 6 minutes…
“It’s hard to guard Chris Warren, Terrico White, (Murphy) Holloway and (DeAundre) Cranston. They’re going hard. Their perimeter players are probably as good as any in our league, which says a lot, and they’re just better than us.”
On the play of Bo Spencer…
“Well, I thought what kept us in the game was that we got some contributions from freshmen Eddie Ludwig and Aaron Dotson. We expect Bo to knock down 3-pointers because he’s been through his share of games.”
On LSU’s 2-3 zone defense…
“That’s all we can do. We try to get them off rhythm, and our zone is not good by any stretch of means. We have to find a new tactic. It was hard to guard Chris Warren, who was 5-5 from 3-point range in the first half. Ole Miss is a tournament team.”
On getting over the “hump”…
“We’ve been able to get close against a lot of people, but what’s enabled us to get over the hump is called good players and good guards. There’s no secret to it. Our record is what it is. All you have to do is refer to your stat sheet from start to finish, and look. There’s a reason we’re last in a little bit of everything.”
On returning to Baton Rouge…
“We’re going to get on the bus and head home as soon as possible. When we get back, we’ll have a light workout and watch tape. We’ll come back on Saturday and give as good an effort as we can. We’ve got a guy that’s been as good a player as there has been in this league. I’ve been in this league for two years, but it’s hard for me to imagine anybody with Tasmin Mitchell who’s won two SEC championships and has been to the final four and has been all-conference two years in a row. He’s played for three different coaches. He’s got passion, and he’s committed to his teammates and to his school. My biggest concern against Georgia is making sure I do everything I can so he has a good game.”
Ole Miss Head Coach Andy Kennedy
On holding off LSU’s runs…
“I thought we competed. We had the lead at nine a couple of times. We missed some open looks. Their two guys are Tasmin Mitchell and Bo Spencer. Those are the two guys that stepped up and made plays. As you look at the numbers, we out-rebounded them by seven. We held them to 35 percent shooting for the game. The glaring weakness again is that we were 11-for-23 from the foul line. If we take care of business at the foul line, it’s a 20-point game.”
On Chris Warren…
“We knew they were going to zone. We knew we were going to have to make some shots. We’ve got a bunch of things that we can run and throw it close, but it just never seems to work out at the end. We know if we can get it to No. 12 and he’s got some space, he’s shown pretty good that he can knock them down. He made five big (3s) in the first half when we struggled offensively. In the second half, he got a little bit of help from Terrico (White). Chris has been the one constant for us this season.”
On Zach Graham…
“I thought he stepped up for us. We gave him some extended minutes because of their zone and his ability to make shots. I thought he was really good on the defensive glass. He got some big defensive rebounds for us.”
On talking about NCAA Tournament chances with the team…
“We just talk about as long as there are games, there’s hope. The reality is that as games start dwindling down, you have less opportunity. We understand completely what is on the line. We understand that Saturday is a big game. Regardless of what happens, the winner of Saturday’s game will be No. 2 (in the SEC West). The loser will be No. 3. It sets yourself up for what you can do in Nashville. We realize that opportunities are becoming more and more scarce. We have to play when we get the opportunity.”
On Arkansas…
“They are talented and scary. Courtney Fortson will give you nightmares in the open floor. He’s very difficult to guard. When they’re on top of their game, they’re a good basketball team. Their record is a little misleading simply because Fortson missed the first 14 games. We have a lot of respect for their abilities. We know in Bud Walton Arena on Senior Night, there will be a few people against us.”
On having Reginald Buckner this time around against Arkansas…
“With Reggie’s presence, it’s good to get him back and get him 15 minutes, but he’ll get four fouls because his timing is still not there. He’s almost too anxious. He’s jumping for everything. He’s lost a little bit of his rhythm. We’ve got to continue to hope that he gets that back. Having him back gives us another body and a presence.”