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Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Beats Mississippi State in Front of Record-Breaking Pavilion Crowd

Posted by | Jan 30, 2024 |

Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Beats Mississippi State in Front of Record-Breaking Pavilion Crowd

OXFORD, Miss. – The SJB-Pavilion played host to a record-breaking crowd as the Ole Miss Rebels beat in-state rival the Mississippi State Bulldogs 86-82 to keep their undefeated home streak alive.

(Click here for box score.)

Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard talked after the game about the record-breaking crowed.

“A lot of work, it starts with a vision. From the chancellor, the athletic director, let’s do this. Let’s get into this game of men’s basketball in the SEC. Let’s try to be a part of the fight…It started back in November when we sold out several games in the non-conference. And there’s 2 things we’re Um, fighting for 2 objectives. You know, you want every seat filled…We’re just continuing to roll tonight.”

Coach Beard on tonight’s historic environment

First Half

Right away, the Bulldogs took advantage of one of the few weaknesses that has followed this Ole Miss team all season, rebounding. Mississippi State grabbed three straight offensive boards on their first possession before knocking down the first bucket.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 5-0 start; however, Jaylen “JuJu” Murray did what he does best and knocked down a triple to end the run.

Both squads were struggling from the field early in this one, shooting well under 50% through about 8 minutes of play.

JuJu Murray added to his highlight reel with a ‘no-look’ pass inside to Allen Flanigan for the finish to give Ole Miss a 13-12 lead. TJ Caldwell then buried a well-contested 3-pointer, later getting another tough bucket to give the Rebels some momentum near the middle of the first half.

Over the next five minutes, the Bulldogs went on an 11-1 run after trailing by three. Freshman Rashaud Marshall then checked in, seeming to give the Rebels a much needed boost defensively.

Beard spoke on the freshman forward’s play tonight during the postgame.

“I thought he played great. It’s all about his attitude, his body language, and are you ready to play. It’s not necessarily about the plays he’s gonna make. I thought he was good. He’s dialed in. He’s physical…I think his heart was in the right place tonight. He answered the call.”

Coach Beard on Rashaud Marshall’s performance

Despite picking up the pace defensively, Ole Miss continued to struggle to get shots to fall. Rebel forward Jaemyn Brakefield then drove to the rim, getting the shot to fall as he was fouled and getting the Rebel crowd on their feet.

The very next possession, Matthew Murrell knocked down a wide open triple at the top of the key to tie things up at 34 with just under 2 minutes to play.

With 30 seconds left and trailing by 3, JuJu Murray decided to hold for the final shot of the half. Murray then ran around a screen set by Marshall to knock down the deep ball and tie things at 39 heading to the break.

Murrell led the Rebels with 11 at the half, and on the other end State freshman Josh Hubbard could not be stopped as he had 16 at the break. Hubbard was slowed by the Rebel defense in the next half, and here is what Coach Chris Beard had to say about that.

“He’s a special young player, a lot of respect for him…I don’t know if it was anything we did, we obviously just reminded the guys of the original game plan and maybe have a few focused possessions on him…at the end of the day you have to guard your man.”

Beard on stopping Hubbard in the second half

Second Half

Ole Miss picked up right where it left off in the first half offensively, going on a 12-2 run to begin the half. Brakefield and Caldwell knocked down back-to-back triples in the process, forcing Mississippi State to use a timeout after going down 51-41 quickly.

Coach Beard explained their fast start to the half during his postgame.

“I wish I could say we planned that, but what we do talk about is the spurts in the 40-minute game. There’s 10, 4-minute games and to beat a good team, you gotta hold serve. You can’t get beat in one of those 4 minute games, you can’t let a team double you up, and that’s happened a few times this year on the road…that was the most important four minutes of the game for us coming out of halftime.”

Coach Beard on the fast second half start

After the Bulldogs finally came up with an answer, Caldwell came right back with another triple. It was his fourth of the night, giving him 14, and the sophomore was still perfect from the field up to that point.

“Throughout the season I have just continued to work, keep my head down, staying together with the team and when it’s my time, it’s my time. That was obviously tonight.”

TJ Caldwell on his career night

The Bulldogs were able to gain some momentum back, however, shrinking the Rebel lead to single digits a few times midway through the final half.

Clinging onto a multiple possession lead, the Rebels began to trade baskets with Bulldogs as it seemed like neither team could miss. With under six minutes to play, State made this one a one-possession game, staying within 3 points of the Rebels.

Following a big 3-ball from Murrell, JuJu Murray decided it was his turn. The Rebel point guard buried a heavily-contested triple that pushed the Ole Miss lead to 79-75 with three minutes to go.

Yet again, the Bulldogs had an answer for Ole Miss in the clutch. However, with a two-point lead, JuJu Murray rose to the occasion again, stepping up and draining another triple to give Ole Miss a five-point lead with less than 2 minutes remaining.

“Most of the time, taking big shots gives me confidence. My coaches and my teammates believe in me…when I get the ball and make a big shot, or even a big play, it just means a lot.”

JuJu Murray on being the guy to take the final shot

The Bulldogs would just not go away though, finding themselves trailing the Rebels 84-82 with less than a minute to play.

Moussa Cisse was then called for a foul that the Ole Miss crowd certainly did not agree with. The Rebel crowd then became the loudest they’d been all night, ‘adding injury to insult’ as the Bulldogs missed both free throws.

JuJu Murray led the Rebels in scoring with 21, and the senior also finished with 11 assists which gave him his first double-double as a Rebel.

Murrell was not far behind with 20 points and TJ Caldwell finished with a career high of 18, not missing a shot until well into the second half.

Up Next

Coach Beard and the Rebels will be back at home in the Pavilion on Saturday, February 3rd to take on the Auburn Tigers for the second time this year. Tipoff is set for 5 pm CT on the SEC Network.
Kameron Wicker

Kam is a senior 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.

About The Author

Kameron Wicker

Kam is a senior 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.

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