JuJu Murray scores 16 points and hits clutch 3-pointer as Ole Miss rallies late to beat Texas A&M on the road, 71-68
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Jaylen “JuJu” Murray scored 16 points and Jaemyn Brakefield added 15 as the Rebels rallied to come from seven down late in the game to beat A&M, 71-68, on Saturday at Reed Arena.
The victory is Ole Miss’ first-ever in College Station over the Aggies (12-8, 3-4 SEC). Entering the game, the Rebels were 0-6 in Aggieland. The win is also Ole Miss’ first SEC road win in the Chris Beard era.
After the game, Coach Beard expressed pride in his players and how they performed in a hostile environment.
“The one stat that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is heart and poise and togetherness and just fight. I told the guys at halftime that this isn’t a stat sheet game, man. It’s just, every possession, you go out there and fight and scrap. You’re playing against a really good team. So I’m just proud of our players.“
Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard
Allen Flanigan and JuJu Murray combined for 15 points to help Ole Miss build a 31-29 lead at halftime. A&M star Wade Taylor made three 3-pointers and scored 14 first-half points for the Aggies.
In the second half, Austin Nunez hit a 3-pointer for Ole Miss that tied the game 51-all with 7:51 remaining. The Aggies then went on a 9-2 run that gave the home team a 60-53 lead with 3:39 to go.
But Ole Miss wasn’t done fighting. The Rebels (17-3, 4-3 SEC) went on a 14-3 run that gave Chris Beard’s team a 67-63 lead with 14 seconds to go in the game. On that stretch, Brandon Murray scored five straight and JuJu hit a deep 3-pointer from the top of the arc.
Holding the 67-63 lead, the Rebels saw A&M’s Taylor hit a three that pulled the Aggies to 67-66 with 9.4 seconds remaining in the game.
The two teams, who each entered the game at 3-3 in league play, traded free throws until Matthew Murrell hit a pair from the line with five seconds to go. A&M’s Tyrece Radford followed that with a 3-pointer that would have tied the game; however, that ended it and the Rebels emerged with a key SEC win.
Brakefield and JuJu Murray combined for six of the Rebels’ 10 3-pointers on the night. Flanigan added 11 points and Brandon Murray finished with eight points and eight rebounds.
A&M’s Taylor made five 3-pointers and scored 30 points on 10-of-20 shooting as he led the Aggies. Radford added 13 points.
The Rebels were clutch at the free throw line down the stretch, finishing 11-15 for 73%. A&M finished 12-22 for 55% from the charity stripe.
#clutch pic.twitter.com/Acwj9swTDN
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) January 28, 2024
Next Up:
Ole Miss hosts Mississippi State on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
