Rhegan VanhoozerBefore winter break began, the Rebels were a perfect 6-0 after a dominant win against North Carolina State, and the Rebels’ run did not stop there. The team advanced to 13-0, including a win over an exceptional Memphis team, which could prove crucial in postseason discussions.
However, the new year brought new challenges with the arrival of conference play. Ole Miss, one of the last three undefeated teams in the country, faced No. 5 Tennessee in its conference opener on Jan. 4. A road game in Knoxville proved to be a tough task, and the crowd of over 20,000 fans gave the Vols a significant edge.
After a 12-0 run by Tennessee in the beginning of the game, the Rebels were able to get the score back within range at 15-18. Nevertheless, the Vols were up by nine after the half, and the lead quickly grew to 20.
“The second half was a different side of the coin,” Ole Miss Head Coach Chris Beard said. “They were more physical and more competitive.”
The Vols’ lock-down defense made a Rebel win quite the strenuous feat, and in the end, the Rebels were simply outplayed, resulting in a 90-64 loss.
With their next game back home in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion, the Rebels were able to regroup and get back on track. Their first loss of the season sparked a new level of motivation for the team, spurring a record-breaking game against Florida.
The 103-85 win was headed by Jaemyn Brakefield, who had a career-high 28 points. After previously shooting a mere 42.6 field goal percentage against Tennessee, the team upped its game and shot 59.1% against Florida, with four players in double digits.
Ole Miss was trailing 18-14 with 12 minutes left in the first half when Jaylen Murray helped fuel a 15-2 run – scoring or assisting on 10 of those points. By halftime, Ole Miss was up 44-40.
Ole Miss came out hot starting the second half, quickly turning the four-point lead into a double-digit advantage courtesy of a three from Brakefield. Eight triples secured their spot as the SEC’s No. 1 team in three-point percentage and ranked them sixth in the nation.
The Rebels shot 75% from the floor in the final 20 minutes, racking up 59 points –– the most in a half this season. With four players in double-digits and an overall dominating game, Ole Miss scored 103 points, eclipsing the century mark in a conference game for the first time since 2001 and setting a new scoring record in the Pavilion.
While the offense was on fire, the defense was just as strong under the 7-foot-5-inch center, Jamarion Sharp. Florida was visibly overpowered as the Rebels set a new program record with 16 blocks and tied the SEC record for the most blocks in a conference game. Nine of these swats came from Sharp, which set another school record.
After picking up their its conference win against Florida, Ole Miss returned to face Vanderbilt on Jan. 14. With an unselfish team such as this one, different players tend to shine each time they take the court. In this game, the veteran Rebel Matthew Murrell took center stage.
With an early 11-5 lead, Ole Miss commanded the pace. Murrell, who averages 16.9 points per game, amassed 18 points in just the first half – going seven for eight from the field and draining three of four from outside the arc.
Alongside him, Allen Flanigan tacked on another 13 points, and the Rebels began to pull away. By the final media timeout, the Rebels led 67-55, with a final score of 69-56.
The victory over Vanderbilt marked Ole Miss’s 15th win of the season and continued an undefeated reign at home.
Things went off the rails in the next two games against LSU and Auburn. The Rebels took two massive body blows in back-to-back losses on the road –– first against LSU 89-80, then against Auburn 82-59 just a few days later.
Of the three conference games the Rebels have played on the road, they are 0-3 with an average margin of loss of just over 19 points. Needless to say, Ole Miss has yet to figure out how to bring its home court confidence on the road.
This team is incredibly impressive, especially considering how lackluster the Ole Miss teams have been in recent seasons. The Rebels are first in the nation for blocks per game and third in winning percentage. At least three Rebels rank within the SEC’s top-20 list in assists, steals, blocks, points per game and rebounds. If you have not seen this team play, you should.
