Jane Rob PannellOle Miss Men’s Basketball pulled off a huge 76-72 win on the road against No. 25 LSU on Tuesday, their first win in Baton Rouge since 2013. The Rebels came out hot offensively, shooting 65% from the field and 63% from beyond the arc in the first half, leading by as many as 24 points against LSU’s powerhouse defense. The Tigers gained momentum towards the end of the half with a 13-2 run, cutting the Rebel lead down to 13.
Ole Miss was led by freshman point guard Daeshun Ruffin with 19 points, 13 coming from the first half. However, Ruffin left the game due to a knee injury with 12 minutes left. Soon after, junior guard Austin Crowley fouled out of the contest, leaving the Rebels without a point guard. With over four minutes remaining, Ole Miss did not make another sub. The five Rebels on the court — Matthew Murrell, Tye Fagan, Luis Rodriguez, Nysier Brooks and Jaemyn Brakefield — showed unbelievable resilience the remainder of the matchup by making the extra effort plays that were necessary in getting the win.
Ole Miss exhibited the definition of team performance, with three Rebels scoring in double figures. Rodriguez had an excellent showing, putting up 15 points and 12 rebounds, his first double-double of the season.
“(Rodriguez) that is the best game he has played since being at Ole Miss,” Head Coach Kermit Davis said. “He impacted a high-level game on the road with his toughness.”
The Tigers chipped away and came within two points, but the Rebels never allowed them to take the lead. One of the biggest impacts of the game was the Rebels free throw shooting down the stretch, knocking down a solid 74% from the line.
LSU came up with a steal with 75 seconds left and a chance to tie it up or take the lead, but Rodriguez made a crucial diving play to secure the ball back in the Rebels’ possession. He forwarded the ball to Brooks, who was fouled and sank two clutch free throws to put the Rebels up by four and secure the Top-25 win.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of our locker room than I have right there,” Davis said. “We knew LSU would make a run, and they had a great crowd here, but just all of the things we absorbed during that game: Daeshun going down, Austin fouls out and then Tye (Fagan) and Matt (Murrell), who hadn’t played point guard all year long are playing it against a pressing team. We just found a way. It wasn’t pretty at times, but gosh that team competed and I’m just so happy for them.”
Ole Miss will remain on the road as they travel to Gainesville for a matchup against the Florida Gators (13-8, 3-5 SEC) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST on SEC Network.
