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Ole Miss Stays Perfect in SEC Play, Beats LSU Behind Monstrous Second Half
Jan 11, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels forward Malik Dia (0) reacts with guard Dre Davis (14) after a basket during the first half against the LSU Tigers at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels continued their hot streak in conference play on Saturday as they took down the LSU Tigers 77-65 behind forward Malik Dia and a monstrous second half.

The game started slow for both squads as it took about two minutes for the first field goal to drop for either team.

The Rebels then quickly jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but it did not last long as they proceeded to go about five minutes before dropping another through the net while also allowing LSU to go on a 15-0 run.

Both sides continued to play physically and go at each other trading buckets. That was until Ole Miss really turned up its defensive pressure, causing multiple turnovers, including back-to-back trips down court where freshman Eduardo Klafke found Matthew Murrell in the corner on almost identical plays, tying the game at 23 apiece.

Closing out the half, both teams traded threes and turnovers, but the difference in the half lies in the hands of Jaemyn Brakefield who gave the Rebs a 28-26 lead heading into the break following a pump fake and layup.

Both teams struggled with handling the ball through the first twenty minutes as LSU had 20 turnovers to Ole Miss' nine.

LSU also struggled heavily behind the line, only making three of its 18 three-point attempts while Ole miss made 5 of its 14 attempts from behind the arc.

The second half started off hot for the Rebels as they jumped out to a 8-0 run in just over a minute of play and then extended their newfound lead to 10 before forcing LSU into a timeout with 16:05 to play.

Ole Miss continued to lay on the gas through the following few minutes, extending its lead to 52-39 with 11 minutes to play.

While the Rebels were hot throughout the entire second half, LSU did not help itself as it continued to struggle from deep and could not contain the hot-handed Rebs defensively.

Ole Miss was led by Dia for the second game in a row. The transfer center totaled 19 points (with 14 of those coming in the second half) alongside seven rebounds, two blocks and an assist.

The Rebs were also propelled by a dominant performance from Brakefield who tallied 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

With this win, Ole Miss moves to 3-0 in the SEC for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The Rebels will return to floor on Tuesday as they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in what looks to be their first top 5 opponent of the season.

READ MORE Ole Miss Rebels News:

Ole Miss Basketball To Be Without Forward Mikeal Brown-Jones vs. LSU

Malik Dia Gives Ole Miss Basketball 'Special Performance' in Win Over Arkansas

Ole Miss Basketball's Chris Beard Breaks Down Crucial Conference Win at Arkansas

Ole Miss Basketball's Eduardo Klafke Breaks Down First Taste of SEC Competition

Where Does Ole Miss Men's Basketball Land in Latest Bracketology Update?


This article first appeared on Ole Miss Rebels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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