OXFORD ― Chris Beard's answer to the question plaguing Ole Miss basketball hasn't changed all season, and it didn't waver after the Rebels gave up 14 offensive rebounds and 20 second-chance points in a loss to Alabama on Wednesday night.

Ole Miss, Beard has consistently said, requires more discipline on the defensive glass. And ‒ just as consistently ‒ the Rebels have failed to answer that call.

Thanks to the disparity on the glass and 14 Ole Miss turnovers, the Crimson Tide attempted 16 more field goals than the Rebels in a 103-88 Alabama triumph at the SJB Pavilion. Beard considered that dynamic the difference in the game.

"Fourteen offensive rebounds, just a non-negotiable for us," Beard said.

On the list of methods to ensure a negative outcome, presenting the most efficient offense in college basketball with a litany of second chances ranks high.

But maybe it was naive to think that wouldn't happen. This is not a 40-minute problem for Beard's Rebels.

Entering Wednesday, Ole Miss' opponents had rebounded 35.3% of their missed shots. That's the highest percentage of any power conference team in college basketball. For the sake of comparison, Mississippi Valley State, which secured its first victory of the season on Monday, allows a 35.4% offensive rebound rate.

And this is not a Rebels team that lacks in size. Between Moussa Cisse and Jamarion Sharp, the Rebels field a 7-footer on just about every defensive possession. Out of 362 Division I teams, Ole Miss is the 87th-tallest, according to KenPom metrics.

The Rebels (19-9, 6-9 SEC) don't have to be truly terrible on the glass. Yet they are.

"It's discipline," Beard said. "We work every day. We talk about it. Our team is prepared. Our players put in the work in the film room and scouting reports, but when you get out there, you gotta make the play."

Beard highlighted the four offensive rebounds secured by Alabama (20-8, 12-3) guard Aaron Estrada on his way to a triple-double as evidence of the Rebels' mistakes.

"Trust me, we've studied this," Beard said. "A lot of it is just we have to make that play, and we just don't make it."

The Rebels may be out of chances to execute.

Considered one of the next four teams out of the NCAA Tournament by ESPN expert Joe Lunardi, Ole Miss has no remaining opportunities for Quadrant 1 wins on its regular-season schedule.

After starting the season 13-0 and beginning SEC play 5-3, the Rebels have lost six of their past seven games. They do not have a win over a team ranked in the top 25 of the NET ‒ the metric used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to help choose the field of 68.

GAME STORY: Ole Miss basketball blows big lead vs. Alabama and maybe its at-large March Madness hopes

In fact, Ole Miss' results against those foes have been downright ugly. The average margin of defeat for Beard's team in five such games is 18 points. It has not stayed within 10 points of the opposition in any of those contests.

The Rebels lost the battle on the offensive glass in four of those games ‒ the only exception coming at Auburn, when the Tigers were so locked in from the field that they only gave themselves 23 chances at an offensive rebound. They corralled 10 of them.

"A lot of it is just discipline," Beard said. "Doing the right thing time and time again. Shot goes up, check your man. (If there's) no man to check, double-block out and rebound down. Go get a 50-50 ball. Face-block out. Communicate on block outs."

That's the message. With three games to go, it still hasn't sunk in.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Chris Beard blames discipline as Ole Miss basketball blows Alabama lead