TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Before the game, Alabama's players sported T-shirts with the mandate "Find a Way."
During the game, Kennedy Winston kept his hot streak alive with 20 points and Antoine Pettway had 19 - both career-highs - to lead the Crimson Tide to an 86-63 win over Mississippi on Sunday.
If Alabama (16-9, 6-8 Southeastern Conference) is to somehow find a way into the NCAA tournament, that was a good start.
"That is our slogan right now, and that is what we need to do," Tide coach Mark Gottfried said. "We have got to find a way to do what we want to get done, and that is going to the tournament. Today was a good step in that direction."
Winston, a freshman who was ineligible for the first dozen games, has scored in double digits in six straight.
Alabama is finally looking like a team determined to play its way into the NCAA tournament, but likely needs to win its final two games against South Carolina and at LSU.
"We've got do everything we can to control the destiny of our team," Gottfried said. "We've got to find a way. That's kind of where we are right now. That's kind of where our mind is."
The Tide shot 59 percent and had four players get at least 16 points to hand the Rebels (12-13, 5-9) their ninth straight loss, with few of them this lopsided.
"I think it has to wear on you, especially the way we've lost games," Ole Miss coach Rod Barnes said. "It's emotionally draining to me, so I know it is with our players."
Erwin Dudley had 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting and collected 10 rebounds while Mo Williams had 16 points and seven assists as the Tide starters kept piling it on until the end.
Pettway hit 4-of-6 3-pointers to match his previous top scoring performance set two years ago against Ole Miss.
"I wasn't paying attention to it," he said. "I was so happy we were beating them."
Justin Reed led Ole Miss with 20 points and Aaron Harper had 13 for Ole Miss. Derrick Allen added 11 points.
The Rebels had pounded Alabama 76-57 on Jan. 21, but gave up 80-plus points for the third straight game.
Alabama has won the last five meetings against Ole Miss in Coleman Coliseum by an average of 19 points. The Tide had 18 assists and committed only nine turnovers while forcing 17.
The Tide hit 16-of-23 shots in the second half, including 5-of-10 3-pointers.
Ole Miss was outscored 19-5 after cutting its deficit to nine points with 5:11 left on three straight 3-pointers. Alabama hit 7-of-9 free throws after that and scored the final six points to close with its biggest margin.
Winston scored nine of Alabama's final 12 points, making 6-of-9 shots and 6-of-8 free throws. Inserting him and Pettway into the starting lineup is proving a good move by Gottfried.
"I feel real comfortable," he said. "Everybody did their part today. We came together."
The Tide scored 13 straight points to build a 40-25 advantage with 3:24 left in the first half, then gave part of the lead back. The Rebels, who had gone more than five minutes without scoring, got the final six points of the half to cut it to 40-31.
"The run in the first half was the most important, because that's where they separated themselves from us," Barnes said. "That was crucial."
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