More success from 3-point range lifts Ole Miss basketball past Southern Miss in Biloxi
BILOXI – It has been 13 years since Ole Miss basketball last defeated Southern Miss. Granted, the in-state foes have met only one other time since then in 2011, but the Rebels got revenge on Saturday afternoon.
No. 25 Ole Miss utilized a suffocating defense and an exquisite 3-point shooting performance to breeze past Southern Miss 89-72 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.
It was a wire-to-wire victory for the Rebels (12-0), who were in control for most of the afternoon. Ole Miss led by 19 points in the second half until Southern Miss (6-6) cut the lead to 69-59 with 7:54 remaining. The Golden Eagles committed 16 turnovers to the Rebels' seven.
Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell led the game with 26 points. Southern Miss' Cobie Montgomery finished with a team-high 15 points while Victor Hart recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Ole Miss' 3-point surge continues
The Rebels made it difficult on Southern Miss right away with a scorching hot shooting start.
Ole Miss began the game 4-for-4 from 3-point range, jumping out to a 23-8 lead eight minutes into the game. Three of those came by way of Murray, who finished 5-of-6 beyond the arc.
Ole Miss’ makes and misses from downtown largely determined the flow of the game. When the Rebels began to miss midway through the first half, the Golden Eagles got back into the game at 25-18. But then Ole Miss began to sink more 3-pointers at the first half’s end, taking a 47-30 lead into halftime with an 8-of-13 mark from beyond the arc.
The Rebels didn't attempt as many 3s in the second half making 3-of-6 shots, but sunk 15 free throws to stay ahead.
Donovan Ivory returns, but Cobie Montgomery the spark off the bench
Southern Miss got its third-leading scorer back in Donovan Ivory after he missed Monday’s win at Lamar because of an undisclosed injury. He had a quiet game, posting six points in 12 minutes.
Instead, it was Cobie Montgomery who impressed among the Golden Eagles.
Montgomery came out hot in his first shift, knocking down his first four shots for 13 points. Although Southern Miss trailed by 17 at halftime, he certainly helped it stay within striking distance.
Andre Curbelo, the two-time transfer who debuted against Lamar, scored 13 points off the bench and went 4-for-4 from the field.
LADNERS: Luke Ladner could have started career at Southern Miss basketball. He'll now finish there.
What's next for Ole Miss, Southern Miss?
Both Southern Miss and Ole Miss will have the week off before returning to play next weekend.
The Golden Eagles begin Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+) at Georgia Southern (0-12). The Rebels will play one more nonconference game on Sunday (3 p.m., SEC Network) when it hosts Bryant (8-6).
Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Ole Miss basketball moves to 12-0 in win over Southern Miss in Biloxi
