Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Falls at No. 5 Tennessee in SEC Opener

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – (Release) Opening their conference schedule on the road at the highest-ranked team in the SEC, the No. 19 Ole Miss men’s basketball team dropped a 90-64 contest at No. 5 Tennessee on Saturday at the Food City Center.

The Rebels (13-1, 0-1 SEC) kept pace with the Volunteers (11-3, 1-0 SEC) early, drawing the game even at 6-all after a fastbreak layup from TJ Caldwell. However, the fifth-ranked team in the nation went on a 12-0 run to take a commanding 18-6 lead, as Ole Miss began the game 2-14 shooting from the field.

A steal from Jamarion Sharp and transition dunk by Matthew Murrell put a stop to the Tennessee streak, kicking off a run for the Rebels, quickly setting the scoreboard at 18-15 after a 9-0 stretch. Trailing by four late in the first half, Ole Miss fell victim to hot shooting in the final moments before the break, as the home team would lead by nine headed into the locker rooms.

The shots kept falling for Tennessee, going up by 20 moments into the second half. The Volunteers would keep any comeback attempt at bay by the Rebels.

Jaemyn Brakefield led Ole Miss with 22 points, his third 20-point game of the season. Over his last five games, the senior forward is shooting 66.7% (34-51) from the field and averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per contest.

Jaylen Murray added 11 points while grabbing a career-high eight rebounds, with Allen Flanigan scoring 10 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.

Jonas Aidoo paced the Volunteers with 24 points and 10 rebounds, as Zakai Zeigler registered a double-double as well with 17 points and 10 assists.

The Rebels will play their next two SEC games at home, beginning with Florida on Wednesday, January 10 at 8 p.m. in the SJB Pavilion on the SEC Network.

(Featured Image: Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics)

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports