Tyree scores career-high 40 points, leads Ole Miss to 83-58 victory over State
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss took down rival Mississippi State Tuesday with a second-half barrage led by a 40-point performance from senior guard Breein Tyree. The Rebels overcame two major deficits and stepped on the gas to crush the visiting Bulldogs 83-58 in the Basket-Egg Bowl.
The start of the first half was as head coach Kermit Davis described, “horrendous.” After getting punched in the mouth and facing multiple, double-digit, first-half deficits, the Rebels found themselves only down one point at the break.
(Click here for box score.)
After being pretty much all Khadim Sy and Tyree, the Rebels finally found other contributors as the second half rolled around, with Devontae Shuler and Blake Hinson contributing early buckets to help Ole Miss regain the lead, taking a load off the backs of Sy and Tyree.
Breein Tyre scored a career-high 40 points in the win over State. (Photo: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
The defense became more disciplined in the second period; shots that previously went wide open started becoming contested. The morphing 1-3-1 zone that Kermit Davis is most famous for forced Mississippi State to take more time off the shot clock, giving them less of a chance to hit the shots they needed to not only maintain the lead, but keep it altogether.
Then, Tyree happened.
The All-SEC guard exploded for 27 second-half points to finish with a career-high 40 points, outscoring the entire Mississippi State team in the second half. Just another day in the books for the New Jersey native.
What more can one say about Tyree? Once again, the senior showed why he is an All-SEC player, scoring at all levels and leading the team when he is on the floor, finishing with 40 points 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Even with that, Tyree credits his teammates.
“I was just being really aggressive. My teammates were getting me open. Sy was screening the heck out of the guards for me to just get an open look. It wasn’t just me. It was a whole team effort.“
Breein Tyree
Tyree’s compliments about Sy were spot on. Sy played potentially the best game of his Rebel career on the offensive end. The junior utilized an array of post moves, as well as a keen instinct on the offensive glass to finish with 18 points and 8 rebounds, playing like the top prospect he was projected to be.
“(Sy) played with power tonight. He absorbed contact and scored.”
Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis on Khadim Sy
Shuler overcame a tough first 19:58, being held scoreless until a buzzer-beating three to end the half. The Bulldogs couldn’t contain him for long, as the junior guard slashed his way to 16 points and 6 rebounds on the night.
Post game video of Breein Tyree and Khadim Sy (Video credit: Matt Barnthouse, The Rebel Walk)
Next Up:
Ole Miss (13-11) travels to Lexington Saturday looking to continue to “Win February” and earn a postseason berth in a bluegrass showdown with the 12th ranked Kentucky Wildcats.
Matt Barnthouse
Matt Barnthouse has over seven years experience working at the youth, high school, and Division I levels of basketball, and currently is at University of Cincinnati as a graduate student and instructor, while doing consulting work, as well as freelance graphics for various Division I teams and players.
Barnthouse spent four years as a student-manager with the Ole Miss Men’s Basketball team, helping them to four winning seasons, as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015.
While at Ole Miss, Barnthouse assisted in all parts of basketball operations, including recruiting, on-court drills, analytics, and film. Following his four-year stint with the Rebels, the redshirt junior declared for the 2017 NBA Draft, where he went undrafted.
After his Spring 2017 graduation from Ole Miss with a degree in Journalism, Barnthouse spent the summer as a basketball coach at Camp Androscoggin, one of the northeast’s oldest and most prestigious summer camps.
Barnthouse resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, and spends his free time watching film and playing with his Corgi, Brady.
