Ole Miss rallies to beat Mississippi State 64-58
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) The first half of Mississippi's college basketball season has been full of frustration, close losses and a sinking sensation that the season might be over before it really started.
A couple huge baskets by Breein Tyree on Saturday changed the Rebels' mood in a hurry.
Tyree scored 16 points, including two tough layups at the rim in the final minute, to lead Ole Miss over Mississippi State 64-58. It was an ugly win for the Rebels - who struggled on offense for most of the game - but coach Andy Kennedy isn't concerned with how they look.
''I thought it was beautiful,'' Kennedy said. ''When you sit where I sit and you get a win, one against Mississippi State, it's a beautiful win.''
Ole Miss (9-6, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) has won eight out of the past nine against Mississippi State. Deandre Burnett led the Rebels with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Devontae Shuler added 10.
Mississippi State (13-2, 1-1) pushed ahead 34-28 by halftime on balanced scoring. The Bulldogs came into the game with the SEC's best defense - they give up about 63 points per game - and continually forced Ole Miss into settling for contested jumpers in the first half.
But the Rebels started making better decisions in the second half and took a 54-53 lead on Tyree's free throw with 4:45 remaining. From that point, it was a close game, but Tyree's driving layups in the final minute proved to be the difference.
''It's always great to see shots go in,'' Tyree said. ''That's always a plus. I was just trying to make a play to help our team win and that's what happened.''
Both of Tyree's crucial shots were contested, but the 6-foot-2, 192-pounder muscled his way over and through Mississippi State's defense to finish at the rim. The sophomore has played well in two straight games - he scored 17 points against Georgia on Wednesday - and the Rebels hope there's more where that came from during the season's final two months.
''It's so good for him to put together back-to-back good games because I need his voice on that court,'' Kennedy said.
Mississippi State was led by Nick Weatherspoon and Aric Holman, who both scored nine points. The Bulldogs were 0 of 13 from 3-point range in the second half.
Mississippi State was coming off an impressive win against No. 22 Arkansas and had its chances against the Rebels, but a 50-39 lead slowly evaporated over the final 10 minutes.
''We've just got to play smarter down the stretch with the ball,'' Mississippi State coach Ben Howland said. ''We got a little tentative late in the game.''
KENNEDY GETS NO. 100
Kennedy became the 23rd coach in SEC history to win 100 conference games. He has a 100-89 record vs. SEC foes over 12 years at the school.
BIG PICTURE
Mississippi State: It's a difficult loss for the Bulldogs, who controlled a large portion of the game. Mississippi State's shooting touch went cold in the second half and now the Bulldogs have another tough game against Florida looming.
Ole Miss: The Rebels are struggling on offense, but found a way to pull out a win against their rival. Burnett and Tyree had several good moments and Ole Miss needs more of them if the Rebels are going to be a factor in the SEC race.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State travels to face Florida on Wednesday.
Ole Miss travels to face Auburn on Tuesday.
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Min. Per Game | ||
Pts. Per Game | ||
Ast. Per Game | ||
Reb. Per Game | ||
Field Goal % | ||
Three Point % | ||
Free Throw % |
Team Stats | ||
---|---|---|
Points | 0 | 0 |
Field Goals | 0-0 (0.0%) | 0-0 (0.0%) |
3-Pointers | 0-0 (0.0%) | 0-0 (0.0%) |
Free Throws | 0-0 (0.0%) | 0-0 (0.0%) |
Total Rebounds | 0 | 0 |
Offensive | 0 | 0 |
Defensive | 0 | 0 |
Team | 0 | 0 |
Assists | 0 | 0 |
Steals | 0 | 0 |
Blocks | 0 | 0 |
Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
Fouls | 0 | 0 |
Technicals | 0 | 0 |
Key Players | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
00
|
. Weatherspoon G | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% |
00
|
. Burnett G | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% |
Top Scorers | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
N. Weatherspoon G | 9 PTS | 2 REB | 0 AST | ||
D. Burnett G | 21 PTS | 5 REB | 3 AST |
Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |