Jaemyn Brakefield leads Rebels to an 80-67 victory over FAU
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss men’s basketball team defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls 80-67 Friday night in Oxford for the Rebels’ second win of the season.
(Click here for box score.)
The game was a collective effort from the entire team, as 11 of the 12 players who stepped onto the floor scored in some fashion. Jaemyn Brakefield was the game’s leading scorer with 17 points, with 10 of those points coming in the first half.
“Jaemyn was really good tonight,” head coach Kermit Davis said postgame. “He only played 22 minutes tonight, and I should have played him more.”
Brakefield was perfect from the field, shooting six-for-six from the field and two-for-two from the three-point line. Davis had nothing but praise for his junior forward.
“He got good shots and made good shots. The biggest thing with Jaemyn is when he rebounds the ball. If he rebounds the ball, he is going to play well. He was physical around the rim.”
Head coach Kermit Davis on Jaemyn Brakefield
Brakefield led the team with eight rebounds, including three on the offensive glass. Like Davis, he also attributed his successes to his rebounding.
“It really gets me going. It puts the confidence in me. It tells you that I am playing aggressive.”
Jaemyn Brakefield on his rebounding
Another big storyline from the game was the team’s rotation, as the bench came alive and outscored FAU’s bench, 35-14.
Eleven Rebels played at least nine minutes, and forwards Robert Allen and Josh Mballa led the scoring off the bench with 10 apiece.
Davis highlighted that it is early in the season, and the team is still tinkering with the rotation to find the best fit going forward.
“We are just going to be a growing team,” Davis said.
“We are still trying to figure out our nine or ten [players] right now. We will have a couple of days of practice, and we will see if we can figure it out before Tuesday night.”
Coach Kermit Davis
Up Next
The Rebels will be back in action this Tuesday against the Chattanooga Mocs. Tip-off is for 6:30pm at the SJB Pavilion on SEC Network+.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
Trevor Terminie
Trevor is a senior at Ole Miss pursuing a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Sports Communication and Promotion. He has previous experience covering sports for another site, including a variety of Ole Miss sports. Growing up in New Orleans, La., he has the Pelicans and Saints running through his blood. He also grew up in an LSU family, but his love for Ole Miss continues to grow. Trevor hopes to cover sports back in his hometown after college. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
