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No. 6-seed Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Dominates No. 3-seed Iowa State to Earn Second Sweet 16 Berth in Program History

Posted by | Mar 23, 2025 | ,

No. 6-seed Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Dominates No. 3-seed Iowa State to Earn Second Sweet 16 Berth in Program History

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OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 6-seeded Ole Miss Men’s basketball team cruised past No. 3-seed Iowa State 91-78 in the Round of 32, earning a trip to the Sweet 16 for just the second time ever behind a red-hot shooting performance.

For the first time in school history, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are advancing to the Sweet 16 for Ole Miss. Head coach Chris Beard has now reached the third round of the tournament for the third time in his career.

First half 

Iowa State won the opening tip leading to Nate Heise draining the opening bucket for the Cyclones. It was Sean Pedulla answering immediately for the Rebels on the other end to tie the game in the opening minute. After a couple of turnovers and misses, Iowa State took another early lead on a second-chance bucket inside, but it was Pedulla knocking down a triple to give Ole Miss a 5-4 lead.

The Cyclones went on a 9-0 run over the next two minutes of play and the Rebels did not make a shot from the field during that span. Curtis Jones and Joshua Jefferson led the way during the run with physical play.

However, the Rebels answered with a run of their own. Malik Dia drained a step back three late in the shot clock to start an 8-2 run with Pedulla hitting his second triple of the game during that span as well. Down 15-13 after a media timeout, Dia netted his second three-pointer to give the Rebels a 16-15 lead.

A layup by Jefferson gave Iowa State the lead right back shortly after, but it was a 12-0 run this time for the Rebels over the next three minutes that gave them a 28-17 lead. Jaemyn Brakefield knocked down a triple during the run, scoring five points in the three-minute span as well.

Jones hit a three to end the Ole Miss run and cut the lead down to single digits. However, Pedulla lofted a beautiful lob pass over the top of the defense that Dia slammed home with authority to give the Rebels another 10-point lead with five minutes to go in the half. Once again, the Cyclones answered to cut into the deficit, but it was Pedulla and Dia adding more to increase the lead back to 12.

The Rebels led by as much as 13 points down the stretch of the first half thanks to a pair of free throws. Ole Miss shot perfect from the charity stripe in the first half (9-9), four of those coming from the senior Brakefield. Despite the height differences, the Rebels were holding their own in the physical battles at the break. The rebound differential at the break was 19-18 in favor of Iowa State.

Dia led the Rebels in scoring with 14 points and on the boards with five. Pedulla added 10 points and a team-high three assists while Brakefield scored seven as well. Ole Miss shot 48 percent (13-27) from the field and 45 percent (5-11) from three as a team in the first half. Jones led the Cyclones with 10 points at the break.

Second half 

Iowa State quickly cut the Ole Miss lead down to seven in the first minute of the second half as it seemed they made some adjustments. However, the Rebels continued to shoot it efficiently.

Matthew Murrell got his first triple to fall to make it a 43-33 lead, and Ole Miss led by double digits for the rest of the game. Points off turnovers became a problem for the Cyclones. The Rebels dominated that area of the game, scoring 20 points to Iowa State’s seven.

Leading 48-37, Ole Miss went on a 13-3 run that gave them a 21-point lead seven minutes into the half. Pedulla and Brakefield hit back-to-back triples during the run and Murrell also knocked down his second of the game.

The Cyclones slowed the game down a bit over the next two minutes, netting six free throws to cut the deficit back within 20 points. However, a triple for Jaylen ‘Juju’ Murray and another nifty move inside for Pedulla allowed the Rebels to keep adding on.

Jones answered the Murray triple with one of his own to make it a 71-51 game, but a third three for Murrell and bucket inside for Dia gave Ole Miss a 26-point lead, their largest of the game.

Down 82-61 with four minutes to go, the Cyclones went on a 11-1 run that cut the deficit to 11. Dia responded to make it a 13-point lead for the Rebels but Jones hit another three for Iowa State to that made it a 10-point game with a little over a minute to go.

After an Ole Miss timeout, Murrell scored on well-executed inbound play while Brakefield followed with a steal and a transition bucket to bring the lead back up to 14. The Cyclones did score another bucket plus a free throw shot but a bucket for Murray in the final minutes topped off a 91-78 victory.

Pedulla led the Rebels in scoring with 20 points and a team-high eight assists. Dia led the team in rebounds with eight, adding 18 points as well. Brakefield scored 19 points, Murrell had 15 and Murray dropped 11 to top off the five double-digit scorers for Ole Miss.

The Rebels were disruptive on the defensive end as well, forcing 15 turnovers. Pedulla led the team in steals with four. As a team, Ole Miss shot 58 percent (32-55) from the field and from three (11-19). The Rebels also took advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe, draining 16 of the 21 attempts.

Up next

The Rebels will head to Atlanta, Georgia as a member of the South Regional in the NCAA Tournament. The No. 6-seed Ole Miss will take on No. 2-seed Michigan State on Friday, March 28. The Spartans defeated New Mexico, 71-63, Sunday in the Sweet 16. Tipoff time and the television slot are still to be determined for the game against Michigan State.
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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