Ole Miss Wins Nail-Biter at Home vs. Missouri

The Ole Miss Rebels beat the Missouri Tigers in a must-win SEC matchup on Saturday night in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion.

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels picked up a huge win on Saturday night, beating the Missouri Tigers 79-76 in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion, and ended their three-game losing streak in the process. This was a must-win game for the Rebels, as losing to a Missouri team that is winless in SEC play would likely dash Ole Miss' NCAA Tournament hopes.

The Rebels started the first half the right way, as they jumped out quickly to a 17-8 lead over Mizzou with 13 minutes left in the period, but the Tigers battled back and entered the locker room at halftime with a 33-30 lead over Ole Miss. Guard Jaylen Murray led the Rebels in scoring in the first 20 minutes with 12 points after knocking down four three-pointers.

Ole Miss Athletics

It was also a big half for guard Matthew Murrell, as the senior recorded his 200th career three-point basket versus Mizzou. The Memphis, Tenn., native was also lethal beyond the arc in the first half, hitting three triples in the period.

The Tigers came out of the locker room ready to add to their lead and they did just that, as Mizzou got out to a 38-32 lead over Ole Miss less than two minutes into the second half. Fortunately, the Rebels found life with eight minutes remaining in the game, and surged to a 67-60 lead over the Tigers by the five minute mark. Ole Miss did not surrender the advantage again.

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Ole Miss was led in scoring by Murrell with 26 points, and he was joined in double digits by Murray (16), Allen Flanigan (16), and Jaemyn Brakefield (14). As a team, Ole Miss shot 43 percent from the field and 52 from three compared to percentages of 47 and 45 from Missouri, respectively. Ole Miss' bench unit once again struggled to be productive offensively, as the reserves scored zero points in the first half, and finished the game with seven.

The Rebels are now set to travel to Starkville to take on their in-state rival, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, in the Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPN2.