Matthew Murrell, No. 25 Ole Miss too strong for Southern Miss

12/23/2023 4:18:30 PM EST

Matthew Murrell scored 26 points and Jaylen Murray added 21 to help No. 25 Ole Miss record an 89-72 win over Southern Miss on Saturday afternoon in Biloxi, Miss.

Jaemyn Brakefield scored 15 points and Allen Flanigan added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Rebels (12-0), who took a 19-point lead late in the first half and never let the margin fall into single digits after that.

Cobie Montgomery scored 15 points and Andre Curbelo, Victor Iwuakor and Victor Hart scored 13 apiece to lead the Golden Eagles (6-6). Curbelo made all four of his field-goal attempts, including his only 3-point attempt, before fouling out after playing 25 minutes.

Hart scored five points and the Golden Eagles began the second half with a 9-4 run that pulled them within 51-39.

The Rebels rebuilt the margin to 19 at 64-45 on a 3-pointer by Murray with 11:53 remaining.

Southern Mississippi closed within 10 points on two free throws by Iwuakor with 7:54 remaining, but Ole Miss scored the next six points to regain command of the game.

The Rebels scored the first five points of the game and Iwuakor contributed the Golden Eagles' first five to get them within 7-5.

Murray and Brakefield made consecutive 3-pointers before Curbelo made a free throw for USM.

Curbelo's layup produced the Golden Eagles' only points during a 10-2 run that gave Ole Miss a 23-8 lead.

Montgomery made a 3-pointer for the first points by a USM player other than Curbelo in more than four minutes. He added two more 3-pointers and made a pair of free throws to help the Golden Eagles close within 25-19.

Murrell and Murray made consecutive 3-pointers to push the lead up to 12 points.

Curbelo's two free throws pulled USM within nine before the Rebels went on a 10-0 run on their way to a 47-30 halftime lead.

--Field Level Media

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