Defense Turns to Offense as Ole Miss routes Valpo, Rebs outscore Beacons 36-0 off turnovers
OXFORD, Miss. — Saturday’s Ole Miss performance was about as good as one could ask for. After losing two straight, the Rebels needed a trip home — and we were treated to one of their best performances of the season. Ole Miss simply dominated every facet of the game en route to the 98-61 win over Valparaiso.
The Rebels started the game on an 8-2 run and never looked back as they exploded for 53 points in the first half. Behind an equally impressive second-half surge, Ole Miss cruised to victory in front of the fans at the SJB Pavilion.
The Rebels led for 39:28 of the game, and six players scored in double figures. This feat is more impressive when one realizes Amaree Abram was the only Ole Miss player to log over 20 minutes (23).
The win can largely be attributed to a stifling defensive performance that forced Valparaiso to commit 21 turnovers. On the other side, Ole Miss rarely gave up possession with only five turnovers the entire game. The Rebels were able to capitalize as they outscored Valpo, 36-0, from points off of turnovers.
The 98 points are the most scored by an Ole Miss team in the Kermit Davis era. As a team, Ole Miss shot 56% from the field (41-73). The Rebels dominated inside, outscoring Valpo 64-26.
Matthew Murrell led the way for Ole Miss in a bounce-back game with 17 points on 6-11 shooting in 19 minutes of action.
All eyes were on guard Daeshun Ruffin who looked a lot more comfortable in his second outing back from injury. Ruffin poured in 14 points on 6-7 shooting. The sophomore showed a lot of that high-level craft in his ability to get shots near the rim and little floaters. Media had been informed before the game that Ruffin would be available in a limited capacity.
The other Rebels to score in double figures were Jaemyn Brakefield (11), Robert Allen (11), Myles Burns (12), and Tye Fagan (10). Each shot over 50% from the floor. With the win Ole Miss is now 7-2 and remains undefeated at home for the year.
Valparaiso (4-7) struggled to get things going offensively and was only able to shoot 38% from the field (22-57).
The duo of Kobe King and Ben Krikke was the largest source of offense for Matt Lottich’s team. King was the game-high scorer with 20. Krikke also added 14 for the Beacons.
Three Takeaways
1) Surges To Start
Ole Miss started the first half on an 8-2 run. Then shortly after, the Rebels had another 10-2 run to add to it. Ole Miss really set the tone in both halves by getting out and dictating things, making sure that Valpo was going to have to play at the Rebels’ pace.
Then, in the second half the Rebels continued to run things as they started out the second with a 30-12 surge. That run would get the lead to as high as 41 points.
2) Masked McKinnis Returns
After suffering an injury/concussion last week, Jayveous McKinnis was able to return to the court today. The transfer starter was unable to play in the Memphis game but was a starter for this Valparaiso game while sporting a black mask.
McKinnis has played an important role on the interior this season with his defense and rebounding presence. Today he played 15 minutes while scoring two points and grabbing four rebounds.
3) The Depth on Display
Ole Miss’ bench added 54 points on Saturday. Seven players off the bench played in double digits. Three of these players scored in double figures (Allen, Ruffin, Fagan), while James White wasn’t far behind.
Today’s game showed just how deep and talented this Ole Miss team is, and it showed a lot of positives for some of these guys who haven’t played as many minutes as the starters.
James White’s rebounding was discussed by Kermit Davis in the Friday press conference and the sophomore went out and added 7 rebounds to his 8-point performance. White also added three assists.
Robert Allen and Tye Fagan both showed the kind of hustle and intensity while doing all the little things that help a team win. Both found their way to the rim and shot a combined 8-10 from the field.
Josh Mballa logged double-digit minutes and showed signs of improvement.
Overall, it was a great opportunity to see these players in a game setting, getting some more minutes. Everyone — from starter to reserve — played an all-around good team game as Ole Miss ends up with a 37-point win.
Next Up
Ole Miss returns to the court on Wednesday as the Rebs host UCF. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 PM, and the game will stream on the ESPN App on SEC Network +.
We will continue to bring you Ole Miss coverage at The Rebel Walk, so stay tuned!
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
TJ Oxley
TJ Oxley is the Vice President of Operations and the Director of Community Relations for The Rebel Walk. He is also the Director of Basketball Content and Senior Basketball Writer. He has over five years of experience providing in-depth analysis of college basketball through multiple platforms. A former MBA graduate of Ole Miss, TJ started with The Rebel Walk in 2019.
