Gamer: Record-breaking performance from Matthew Murrell paces Rebels in 74-53 win over Troy
OXFORD, Miss. – Just one day removed from being ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2019, the Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Troy Trojans, 74-53, in the SJB-Pavilion on Tuesday night to add onto their best start in over a decade.
11-0.#HottyToddy | #BuildTheCulture pic.twitter.com/1BRDYOU8XO
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) December 20, 2023
“I’ve coached a lot of college basketball, I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of many crowds as good as that in December…Really impressed, just want to thank everyone that came to the game tonight.”
Beard on the attendance against Troy
On his 22nd birthday, Matthew Murrell broke the Ole Miss record for steals in a game with 10, previously owned by program legends Gerald Glass and Eric Laird who each had eight. His 10-steal performance tonight is tied for the most in SEC history, tying him with Anthony Murray of Georgia in 1978 and Shawn Griggs of LSU in 1991. His performance is the most in a game across college basketball since 2020, and is tied for the 25th-most in NCAA history.
“When I think of Matt Murrell defensively, I think of Kermit Davis,” Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said after the game.
“The guy’s been coached by a defensive coach. He knows what he’s doing. We benefitted from that. Matt understands instincts, he sees things before they happen… he’s the one that’s embraced the new defensive style and system, and he attacks every possession with great intensity. I also recognize his conditioning. He doesn’t get tired often, and when he’s not, he’s mentally tough enough to fool you into thinking he’s not tired.“
Coach Chris Beard on Matthew Murrell
First half
After a couple of misses by both squads following the opening tip, Rebel forward Jaemyn Brakefield drained a three-pointer to get the scoring going. Brakefield was just a few days removed from his career-high 27 points versus California in San Antonio.
Birthday Boy picking up where he left off 🥳#HottyToddy | @Jaemyn1 pic.twitter.com/Chjn8MqtnC
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) December 20, 2023
Brakefield has been rather ‘hot’ the past few games, and head coach Chris Beard commented on his forward’s play as of late.
“In my opinion he’s just being more aggressive. It’s not really about making the shots, he’s done that his whole career and will continue to. I just like how aggressive he’s been. He’s rebounding the ball, taking the challenge of 1-on-1 defense and being very competitive.”
Beard on Brakefield’s recent play
Shortly after, the recently-eligible Brandon Murray drained another three for the Rebels. The Trojans then eventually caught fire offensively, taking an 8-7 lead over the Rebels five minutes into the game.
Murrell spoke about Murray’s recent debut during the postgame.
“We’ve already been gelling with Brandon (Murray). He’s been able to practice with us, so we’ve been able to build that chemistry. Just having him on the court has been great for all of us.”
Matthew Murrell on Brandon Murray
It was clear both teams were struggling from the field early with just a 14-11 score halfway through the first half. Troy went through a stretch of eight straight missed shots; however, Jamarion Sharp can take the credit for many of those as the 7 -foot-5-inch Rebel denied multiple shots early in this one.
Coach Beard commented on the elite defense his team showed against Troy.
“I thought for the most part the effort was there…Sharp did a great job blocking shots in the first half, he erased a lot of our mistakes. I do think we were locked in to go win the second half by double digits. It was one of our better halves all year.”
Beard on the team defensive performance
With less than 5 minutes left in the half, Ole Miss increased its lead to double digits after Jaylen “JuJu” Murray drained a 3-pointer to make it 22-11 Rebels.
Just how we drew it up 😅@Jaemyn1 x @matt_murre11 x @JSMurray10 pic.twitter.com/asrMdZcDBU
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) December 20, 2023
The elite defense continued from Sharp as well. The Rebel big man recorded six blocks in the first half, alone, adding a couple of forced turnovers as well to his defensive showcase.
The Trojans buried a couple threes to pull back within single digits; however, they still trailed Ole Miss 31-22 at the break.
JuJu Murray and Murrell both had eight at the half, leading the scoring for the Rebels. The backcourt pair also had a combined steals steals at the half.
Ole Miss was shooting just above 40% from the field and behind the arc at the break, proving to be the only thing holding the Rebels back from breaking this one open.
Second Half
Brakefield, JuJu Murray and Murrell continued their scoring performances as the second half began as all three of the Rebels entered double digits. Murrell recorded his seventh steal of the night just five minutes into the half. The guard had four total steals in the first half.
JuJu Murray eventually knocked down his third 3-pointer of the night, giving the Rebels a 49-30 lead mid-way through the second half, their largest lead to that point.
…………..BANG‼️@jsmurray10 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/ouI6ugr71d
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) December 20, 2023
Coming out of the half the Rebels were hot from the field, draining their first nine shots before finally missing, completely flipping the switch after a rocky first half.
As the second half went on, Ole Miss began to miss more deep shots, but the Rebels were still shooting well from the field.
A problem for the Rebels this season so far has been the inability to pull away when owning big leads late in the game. But Ole Miss led Troy by 15+ points for most of the second half, not experiencing any trouble putting the Trojans away as the Rebels saw their lead continue to grow as the buzzer got closer.
Murrell led the way with 18 points for the Rebels, recording 10 steals as well which passed Gerald Glass’ eight steals for the record set back in 1989. The double-double from Murrell was the first in school history that involved steals.
The Rebel guard commented on his record performance in the postgame.
“This was definitely my first time having 10 steals in a game…This was my first career college double-double, that’s a big moment. It’s even better having it on my birthday.”
Murrell on his double-double
Brakefield continued his scoring outburst from last game, giving the Rebels another 17 points. JuJu Murray finished with 16, burying four threes. Allen Flanigan also filled up the box score with 13 points, nine assists and seven boards.
𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙏. 𝙈𝙐𝙍𝙍𝙀𝙇𝙇.
First double-double in school history including steals 😱
He’s got 18 points to go along with his ten takeaways!@matt_murre11 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/EPeEknIrZG
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) December 20, 2023
Coach Beard offered some good news on Moussa Cisse who went down with what looked like an injury to his right leg early in the game. He did not return. Beard updated media in the postgame press conference.
“Preliminary stuff’s all good news. The team doctor checked (Moussa), did all the test and didn’t think there was anything structural at all,” Beard explained. “Just kind of a decision to not play him in the second half but he was cleared to play. Obviously we’ll spend some time with him tonight and (Wednesday) but early signs were positive.”
Up Next
The Rebels will be back on the road this Saturday, December 23rd, to take on the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. The game will be played in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum at 1 pm CT with no television slot scheduled yet.
Kameron Wicker
Kam is an undergraduate at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he’s from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn’t stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He’s a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
