In the Rebels’ second annual “Throwback to the Tad Pad” game, Ole Miss Men’s Basketball survived a late push by Southern Alabama, defeating the Jaguars 64-54 to secure their second official win of the season.
Ole Miss started off hot, as point guard Sean Pedulla hit a couple of open three pointers to get the Rebels going offensively. Pedulla ended up with 27 points and shot seven three pointers, leading all players in scoring.
The rest of the team started off strong as well, as forward Jaemyn Brakefield scored eight points in the first half while not missing a shot. He continued that streak, finishing with 14 points and remaining a perfect five-for-five shooting night.
The Rebels defense was absolutely flying to the ball, as Southern Alabama shot only 28% from three-point range. Pedulla led the team in steals with four and had a clutch steal to help secure an Ole Miss victory.
However, The Jaguars defense gave the Ole Miss offense some trouble. Two of the Rebels top scorers — Malik Dia and Jaylen Murray — combined for only 11 points for the game. Guard Davon Barnes led the team with eight rebounds while also scoring seven points.
The Rebels won the rebounding totals, as they out rebounded the Jaguars 44-42. The Rebels dominated the offensive rebounding totals, doubling the Jaguars total 16-8.
“We had an off shooting night,” Ole Miss Head Coach Chris Beard said per 247Sports. “How do you win the game? We outrebounded our opponent. … Our offensive rebounding was a season-high tonight. There are ways to win despite not shooting the ball well tonight.”
South Alabama’s leading scorer was Judah Brown, a forward who shot 16 points for a season high while also shooting an efficient 42% from the floor.
The Jaguars two-three zone defense forced the Rebels to slow down their pace, as they often struggled to set up their offense. They also added a full court press to try and delay the usually fast-paced Rebels.
Guard Dre Davis left the game with an apparent ankle injury with 5:45 left in the second half. So far this season, he averages around 12 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. If he has to miss an extended amount of time, guard Eduardo Klafke will see an increase in minutes and role.
What’s next?
Up next for the Rebels is a game against Colorado State at home at 3 p.m. as they look to continue riding high on a three game win streak.
