With just over 14 minutes left in the second half, junior Ole Miss basketball forward Malik Dia left the bench and trotted onto the floor at Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday.

What Dia did in Ole Miss’s 73-66 win at Arkansas – and especially in those 14 minutes – could pay off for him in the long run as the No. 22 Rebels (13-2, 2-0 SEC) continue their run Conference advance schedule.

Dia scored a season-high 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting against the Razorbacks (11-4, 0-2). He sank two of his four 3-point attempts, including a door-slamming one with 1:10 left, and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Crucially, despite playing for much of the final 14 minutes, Dia only picked up one more foul and avoided automatic disqualification.

“I’ve only been coaching Dia for a year,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said. “Tonight was a big step in our relationship. The big guy gained some confidence tonight.”

Dia’s previous season high was 11 points.

Dia, a transfer from Belmont, has been a focal point for the Rebels of late. Before the Arkansas game and for much of the season overall, Beard stressed that Ole Miss needs to play big and rebound. When that wasn’t the case, like in an 87-70 loss at Memphis, it was obvious.

If Ole Miss can get more games like Dia’s on Wednesday, that’s a good sign. At 1.90 meters, Dia is the second largest player on the Ole Miss squad. Because 7-2 freshman John Bol has played sparingly in SEC play, Dia has often used opposing 7-footers in defensive duties.

Beard also praised Jaemyn Brakefeld, the Rebels’ 6-8 forward, for his “courageous” play on the block. Brakefield had six rebounds before being fouled.

“We were able to weather the storm tonight with a few foul issues, but obviously Dia came to play,” Beard said.

The Rebels, projected to be a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, will look to continue their strong start in Saturday’s SEC home game against LSU (5 p.m., SEC Network).

“Round two of an 18-round fight,” Beard said. “That’s how we set it up. The SEC is as good as advertised. We played well tonight. Special performance from Malik Dia.”

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

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Malik Dia gained confidence in Ole Miss basketball’s win at Arkansas