The Ole Miss Rebels squeaked past the Sam Houston State Bearkats on Friday night, picking up a 70-67 win at C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum in the program's first "Throwback Game."
The Rebels took the floor in the "Tad Pad" for the first time since the 2015-16 season, and they put on a nail-biter for the fans in attendance. Ole Miss trailed 67-66 with about a minute left in the game before Jaylen Murray hit a three-pointer to give the Rebels a two-point lead, one that they never relinquished in the final minute.
Murray finished the night with just seven points, but that final three was the biggest score of the night for Ole Miss. The Rebels trailed 33-31 at halftime as efficient shooting continues to be somewhat of an issue in the early portions of the season for Chris Beard's team.
As a team, the Rebels were led in scoring by guard Allen Flanigan with 23 points, and Matthew Murrell joined him in double digits with 15. Ole Miss shot 43.5 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from three compared to Sam Houston State's percentages of 41.4 and 38.5, respectively.
With the win, Ole Miss improves to 4-0 on the year, and it will hit the road for the first time this season on Wednesday when it travels to face the Temple Owls. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN+.
The Rebels will return home on Nov. 28 when they host the NC State Wolfpack in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
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