Jan. 30, 2024. Photo by Hailey Austin.
Ole Miss’s tournament aspirations took another shot to the chin on Wednesday, Feb. 21, as they fell on the road to in-state rival Mississippi State. Prior to the game, the Rebels were in the “Last Four In” category according to Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology rankings, meaning that this loss could have the Rebels on the outside looking in.
First Half
An away game at your main rival’s house is always a tough game, much like we saw when State played Ole Miss in Oxford earlier this year. This game proved to be no different, as State jumped out to a 12-point lead around the 12-minute mark in the first half at 20-8. All the momentum was in favor of the Bulldogs for a majority of this game, and it seemed Chris Beard’s team was not up to the task.
From about the halfway point in the first half, Ole Miss outscored State 36-20 and had a 4-point lead going into halftime. Senior Guard Matt Murrell was scoreless halfway into the first half with his first bucket coming at the 10:02 mark. In the final 10 minutes, he would score 16 points in the Rebels’ comeback effort to give them a 44-40 lead at half.
Second Half
Much like the first half, State came out swinging. From the 14:04 mark to the 9:51 mark, MSU went on a 14-2 run that gave them an 11-point advantage. The Rebels would fight back and cut the lead to four at the 5:30 mark, only for State to pull away with a 13-3 run to end the game.
Ole Miss struggled with containing the Bulldog bigs all night long, with players like Tolu Smith, KeShawn Murphy and Cameron Matthews having field days in the paint and at the free throw line.
Offensive MVP: Matt Murrell
Despite a relatively quiet second-half showing from Murrell, he was on fire in the latter stages of the first half. He has been a consistent scorer for the Rebels this season and has been integral in their success. His ability to create his own shot as well as be a solid yet streaky three-point shooter has shown potential NBA suitors his value.
Defensive MVP: Allen Flanigan
Allen Flanigan ended the game with two steals, which is not necessarily an elite defensive performance, but is noteworthy nonetheless. State shot 50% from the field and 43% from three en route to scoring 83 points, so defense was definitely not a strong suit in this one.
Shining Moment: Murrell’s 10-minute Frenzy
As previously stated, Murrell was scoreless up until the 10:02 mark in the first half. From that point, he scored 23 points on 7-19 shooting with eight boards and just two turnovers. His hot hand was a crucial part in the Rebels mounting that early comeback to give them a chance in this game.
Needs Improvement: Offense
At times, Ole Miss’ offense has periods where it seems they just lapse into a very static or bland offense. Credit to Mississippi State is due as they turned up the heat in the second half, but going forward, Beard will want to minimize as many of those as possible.
Up Next: South Carolina @ The Pavilion (Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2:30 p.m.)
While a win in Starkville would have been a huge help for the Rebels’ postseason hopes; with that out of the cards, they have another huge opportunity against the Gamecocks on Saturday.
The 20th ranked Gamecocks will be looking to sweep the season series against the Rebels and further climb the polls with what would be a quality win in Oxford. For Ole Miss, this is a prime chance to show why they belong in the tournament. A win against a top-20 tournament team would be a huge résumé builder for the Rebels, but they will have to get past SC.
