Ole Miss was beaten in several categories in Starkville Saturday night by Mississippi State. None of the stat lines was more evident than being outrebounded 51-29.
Even with a big three-point bucket by Matthew Murrell to send the game to overtime, the Rebels couldn’t overcome a horrid start to the game and fell to Mississippi State in front of a packed Humphrey Coliseum 84-81.
MATT MURRELL SENDS IT TO OVERTIME IN STARKVILLE‼️@mattmurrell_ x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/gdgP1hcqIn
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 19, 2025
Ole Miss (15-3, 4-1 SEC) will happily head back to Oxford and play host to No. 11 Texas A&M on Tuesday night at 8:00 inside the SJB Pavilion. If there is a team that deserves a home crowd, it’s Ole Miss. The Rebels will undoubtedly have a spirited, physical practice before welcoming the Aggies to Oxford.
“Congrats to Coach Jans and those guys protecting home court. The rebounding, and you just can’t start out like we did today,” Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said following the loss.
The Bulldogs led essentially the entire game until the end of regulation, in large part due to their success from banging the offensive boards and the offensive play of Riley Kugel, who scored a game-high 21 points.
“I stressed to the team, be accountable for what you do well. It’s good to see (our rebounding advantage) against a quality team,” Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans said.
The good news for the Rebels is that Matthew Murrell appears to be on the right track to return to the player of old. While not 100 percent healthy, Murrell finished with 15 points, none more significant than the three-point basket at the end of regulation.
Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield know this rivalry game well. Brakefield paced the Rebels with 20 points and was 7-12 from the floor.
“Matt Murrell got it going in the second half. It was a little too early to foul, it was a big shot, and I was glad our guys stuck together in the end,” Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans said.
Ole Miss will have a chance to avenge the loss later in the season, but all is not lost falling tonight. The Rebels showed plenty of moxie, storming back in the second half and forcing overtime.
Point guard Sean Pedulla would finish with 18 points, keeping the Rebels in striking distance in the first half.