Ole Miss dominates Florida Gulf Coast, 87-57, in final non-conference game of 2018
OXFORD, Miss. – Following a 6-0 record in the month of December, the Ole Miss men’s basketball team moves to 10-2 after defeating the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, 87-57, Saturday afternoon in The Pavilion at Ole Miss.
(Click here for box score.)
In front of a season-high 7,551, the Rebels closed out 2018 non-conference play ahead of the team’s first SEC contest against Vanderbilt Saturday, January 5 in Nashville.
Offensive efficiency
The key for Ole Miss’ success in Saturday’s victory—as well as in the entirety of December—has been efficiency. On the offensive side of the ball against the Eagles, the Rebels were able to maintain their first-place SEC shooting percentage mark with a 52% performance.
Helping the cause, yet again, was a healthy mix of 10 Rebels who put points on the board, including senior Terence Davis who led the way for the Rebels with 20 points.
The chemistry on the offensive side of the ball has been a pleasant surprise for first-year head coach Kermit Davis who has worked to instill the concepts of unselfish basketball in his young team.
Coach Davis’ efforts have already paid dividends for Ole Miss as the Rebels amassed a total of 22 assists on 31 made shots Saturday.
Breein Tyree added 14 points, while Blake Hinson, Devontae Shuler, and Bruce Stevens notched 11 points each.
Defensive prowess
Ole Miss has also been efficient on the defensive side of the ball. The Rebels have consistently forced turnovers and scored points off those takeaways. Against the Eagles, Ole Miss scored an impressive 19 points off 19 FGCU turnovers, with 11 steals helping the cause.
On the defensive glass, the Rebels finished with a 23-18 advantage behind a team-high six rebounds from Southaven native, Davis.
Dominik Olejniczak, K.J. Buffen, and D.C. Davis each added five rebonds.
Next Up:
Ole Miss, currently riding a seven-game winning streak, will begin 2019 in Nashville on Saturday, January 5 as the Rebels travel to face the (8-3) Vanderbilt Commodores.
The game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on the SEC Network.
Archie Breland
Archie has been an Ole Miss fanatic since day one. Born in Denver, Colorado, he has a passion for everything Ole Miss and loves to be part of the great gameday experience. He is currently a freshman at the University of Mississippi and is studying the field of Journalism and Law. Archie played football in high school and also has extensive knowledge of all things college athletics.
