Kenny Gabriel scored 24 points and host Auburn rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit to defeat Mississippi 76-73 on Wednesday.

Earnest Ross added 15 points for the Tigers (10-19, 3-12 SEC), who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Dundrecous Nelson scored 30 points for Mississippi (18-12, 6-9 SEC), which suffered a major blow to its NCAA Tournament at-large hopes.

Mississippi dominated the first half en route a 41-25 halftime lead. Auburn rallied and used a 9-0 run to take a 50-49 lead on Chris Denson’s free throw with 9:51 remaining.

After two Gabriel free throws pushed Auburn’s lead to 72-67 with 1:06 left, Chris Warren brought the Rebels within 74-73 on a 3-pointer with 21 seconds to go.

Nelson’s steal with eight seconds left gave the Rebels a chance to take the lead, but Ross forced a turnover with five seconds left. Denson hit two free throws with two seconds to go, and the Rebels could not get off a shot before the buzzer.

Warren, the SEC’s second-leading scorer coming in at 19 points per game, scored 12 on 3-for-16 shooting.

Auburn, last in the SEC in free-throw shooting, hit 31 of 40 from the line, including 9 of 10 in the final 1:13. The Rebels hit 20 of 24 free throws.