Sean Pedulla scored the last three of his game-high 26 points on a stepback 3-pointer with 18.3 seconds left Saturday and Ole Miss held off visiting Oklahoma 87-84 for a Southeastern Conference win in Oxford.
The Sooners led 84-82 after Duke Miles drove the middle for a layup with 31.7 seconds remaining. After a timeout, the Rebels got the ball to Pedulla and after setting up his defender, he sank his fifth 3-pointer of the day.
Oklahoma had a chance to regain the lead but Dayton Forsythe, who scored a team-high 25 points on 7 of 9 shooting, missed a wild shot along the right baseline. Matthew Murrell hit two foul shots after an intentional foul with 3.9 seconds on the clock and Ole Miss (20-9, 9-7) survived a turnover on the ensuing possession.
Jaemyn Brakefield added 16 points for the Rebels, who converted 50.9 percent of their field goal attempts and sank 23 of 31 foul shots. Dre Davis was good for 13.
Miles finished with 15 points and five assists for the Sooners (17-12, 4-12), which saw their dwindling hopes for an NCAA at-large bid take another hit. Jeremiah Fears added 13 points and seven assists as Oklahoma lost despite hitting 52.9 percent of its shots.
The pregame storyline was how would both teams bounce back off tough losses in the mid-week. Ole Miss was hammered 106-76 at No. 1 Auburn Tuesday night and Oklahoma suffered an 83-82 home defeat to No. 17 Kentucky in last-second fashion.
Early, it appeared the Rebels had the jump. They led 10-2 at the 14:10 mark after Jaylen Murray stuck a 3-pointer and upped the advantage to 30-19 with 7:26 remaining after Brakefield sank two foul shots.
However, the Sooners reeled them in over the half’s remainder, gradually reducing the deficit until Miles made a 3-pointer with 1:17 left to give them their first lead at 38-37. But Davon Barnes’ layup with 24 seconds on the clock enabled Ole Miss to head for the break ahead 39-38.
–Field Level Media
