Rebels Clutch Down the Stretch, Secure Nail-Biting Road Win vs. Texas A&M
It took all 40 minutes, but the Ole Miss Rebels picked up their first road win in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday night, earning a 71-68 win over the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena in College Station.
Ole Miss (17-3, 4-3 SEC) fought back from an early deficit to hold a 31-29 lead at the intermission, but the second half is where the real nail biting took place. Rebels guard Jaylen "JuJu" Murray sunk a three at the 15:33 mark of that frame to push Ole Miss' advantage to 44-33, but the Aggies fought back to secure a lead of their own with 9:11 to play.
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The remainder of the game was a back-and-forth affair, but with 3:39 to play, the A&M lead had been stretched to seven at a 60-53 score. Ole Miss once again fought back for a tie, and with the game knotted at 62 apiece, Murray hit a clutch three with just 22 seconds remaining to put the Rebels in the driver's seat late.
A series of fouls, free throws and a clutch three from A&M's Wade Taylor IV made things interesting at the end, but Ole Miss was able to hang on for the three-point win, one that could prove vital in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament berth later this season.
Jaemyn Brakefield led Ole Miss in scoring with 15 points, and he was joined in double digits by Murray with 13 and Allen Flanigan with 11. As a team, the Rebels shot 41.7 percent both from the floor and from three compared to the Aggies' marks of 39.7 and 30 percent, respectively.
The win in College Station caps off a perfect week for Ole Miss on the hardwood, having taken down the Arkansas Razorbacks at home on Wednesday. The Rebels will return home for their next action on Tuesday when they play host to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network.
