Big second-half run helps Ole Miss basketball escape disaster, beat Missouri

OXFORD ― Facing a 10-point deficit at home against a Missouri team winless in SEC play, Ole Miss basketball had 12 minutes and change to find a way to sustain its NCAA Tournament at-large hopes Saturday.

The Rebels secured the comeback they had to have by getting to the rim. Largely limited to outside jump shots early, Ole Miss converted four layups, five free throws and two emphatic dunks during a 25-6 run it used to swing the game in its favor and escape with a 79-76 victory at SJB Pavilion.

There was, as usual, a shooting component to the game-changing run for the Rebels (19-6, 6-6 SEC). Matthew Murrell added a pair of 3-pointers to the effort.

Those counted among six 3-pointers and 26 points for the senior guard. Jaylen Murray, Allen Flanigan and Jaemyn Brakefield each contributed at least 14 points, too.

Thanks to their efforts, the Rebels wrested the lead back from Mizzou (8-17, 0-12) with 8:27 remaining and never gave it up.

Considered one of the last teams in the NCAA Tournament field entering this weekend by analysts like ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Rebels’ case for inclusion rests largely on the absence of a truly bad loss on their resume.

Owing to the big second-half run, that ledger remains clean.

Tigers close off the interior for the Rebels early, but Ole Miss makes second-half inroads

Ole Miss attempted 32 first-half field goals. Seventeen of them came from beyond the 3-point arc.

The Rebels, prolific as they are from deep, welcomed the invitation to shoot, connecting on eight of their 17 3-point attempts in the half.

Murray and Murrell combined for seven of those connections. It was a notable jump for Murray, who hadn't managed 10 points in any of the Rebels' previous three games.

Still, Ole Miss' inability to carve out easy looks at the rim early on impacted the scoreline. The Rebels didn't attempt a first-half free throw, and the visitors outscored them 16-4 in the paint as the Tigers took a 33-30 lead at halftime.

The second half was different, though. Ole Miss managed 16 points in the paint in the final 20 minutes.

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Sean East II returns from injury to force Ole Miss basketball adjustment

There was doubt in the buildup to Saturday's game over whether Mizzou leading scorer Sean East II would suit up after missing the Tigers' previous two games with an injury.

Once he stepped on the court, though, there was no doubt about his impact.

East carved Ole Miss up for 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first half, but the Rebels largely kept the ball out of his hands in the second, limiting him to 10 points ‒ four of which came on late free throws.

Up next

Ole Miss travels to Mississippi State for the second of two meetings with the Bulldogs on Wednesday (8 p.m., ESPN2).

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Ole Miss basketball escaped disaster and beat Mizzou