An immensely successful season of Ole Miss men’s basketball has come to an end in the Sweet 16. For the second time in program history, the Rebels made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament after having ousted North Carolina and Iowa State in earlier matchups. However, the March Madness run hit a dead-end in Atlanta, with Michigan State earning a 73-70 win over Chris Beard and company.
In a contest in which Ole Miss (24-12) won the turnover battle, dictated the pace for the most part, and made the Spartans (30-6) uncomfortable offensively throughout the contest, stellar guard play and an ability to get to the basket willed Michigan State to a hard-fought victory. A 10-point advantage at the charity stripe also helped.
Veteran guards Sean Pedulla and Matthew Murrell laid it all on the line to give Ole Miss a fighter’s chance in what was a very winnable game. Nonetheless, their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
Ole Miss, though disappointed with the game’s outcome, defied odds and allegations of being “frauds” in making it this far in the pinnacle of college basketball. Reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time in 25 years in the head coach’s second year at the helm is certainly something Rebel fans can find solace in.
“Just being able to be a part of the change, it’s definitely been something special,” Murrell said after the game. “Ole Miss wasn’t really on the national map a couple years back, and we felt like we’ve been able to grow it throughout the years. Like Coach Beard said, Ole Miss will be here to stay.”
Game Recap
Ole Miss jumped to an early 6-2 lead by attacking the paint and winning against a much bigger Michigan State squad. Malik Dia got on the board first for the Rebels. A bucket down low by Spartan big man Carson Cooper fueled a Michigan State run to knot things up 6-6 with 13:57 on the clock.
After the Rebels missed their first five three-pointers of the night, Sean Pedulla broke the glass ceiling with a deep ball to give his team a 10-6 advantage — a lead that lasted all of 40 seconds as the Spartans found a favorable whistle and supplemental scoring at the charity stripe.
Another Pedulla triple broke the tie. But things took a bad turn for the Rebel point guard at the 11:09 mark of the half when Pedulla was whistled for his second foul, forcing Chris Beard to pull him from action. In Pedulla’s absence, Jaylen Murray stepped up to the plate, knocking down a three-ball and getting to the rack to put Ole Miss up 20-14.
Michigan State stormed back and got within one possession on the scoreboard, but Murray took a stolen ball to the rack and elected to kick it out to an open Matthew Murrell, who buried a triple to give Ole Miss the momentum back.
With 3:53 remaining in the half, Tom Izzo was forced to call a timeout as the Rebels took the first double-digit lead of the game. Michigan State, after struggling from deep earlier in action, became unstoppable from three and closed out the final minutes of the half on a 12-2 run to trail 33-31 at the intermission.
At halftime, Ole Miss had a rare rebounding advantage and eight more points than its opponent in the paint.
A jumper by Michigan State’s Coen Carr knotted things up off the bat in the second half. A dunk and successful triple by Dia gave Ole Miss the scoreboard advantage oncemore. Ole Miss then went on an 8-2 run to take a 48-39 lead with 12:15 on the clock, and things were trending in the Rebels’ advantage.
That changed when Michigan State’s guards began to attack the basket. Jaden Akins and Jase Richardson displayed their stellar athleticism and helped cut a nine-point deficit to one point in under two minutes. In that stretch, Ole Miss struggled to find a bucket.
With 7:50 left in regulation, Michigan State’s momentum continued, and the Spartans took their first lead since there was 12:19 remaining in the first half. A three by Pedulla evened up the scoreboard with 6:42 on the clock. A triple by Murrell gave Ole Miss a one-point edge at the 5-minute mark, and further sparring ensued.
A bad-pass turnover by Pedulla gifted Coen Carr a momentum-stealing dunk, though the Ole Miss guard responded with a deep shot to get his team back in the leader’s seat with 4:04 remaining.
From there, Michigan State proved to be more consistent as the Spartans stuck to what worked — getting to the rim and making free throws. Pedulla fought valiantly to keep Ole Miss alive, and while those efforts were commendable, they ultimately fell short.
Impact Players
Sean Pedulla led the Rebels’effort with a game-best 24 points and four assists. Matthew Murrell had a strong showing with 13 points, nine of which came from behind the arc, and four rebounds. Malik Dia scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds.
For Michigan State, Jase Richardson was the torch carrier in the Spartans’ win with 20 points and six rebounds. Coen Carr was a close runner-up with 15 points. Jaden Akins amassed 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the contest.
Deciding Factor
In a game decided by three points, Michigan State had 10 more points at the free throw line. The Spartans were 19-22 at the charity stripe, whereas Ole Miss finished an efficient 9-10 at the line.
Though Ole Miss had more points in the paint at the midway intermission, the pendulum shifted in the second half. The Spartans, after going to the rim with their athletic guards, ended up with six more points down low.
The Rebels had three more deep shots in the contest. However Michigan State was more efficient. Ole Miss was 9-27 (33%) from behind the arc while the Spartans were 6-17 (35%)
In the rare event that the Rebels won rebounding and turnover battles, the Spartans’ ability to get to the basket with little resistance in the second half propelled Tom Izzo’s team in a close one.
Coach’s Comments
Chris Beard, letting emotion seep through an otherwise calm demeanor, expressed his gratitude for the players who made this historic season possible. Specifically, the Rebel frontman highlighted the significance in retaining Jaemyn Brakefield and Matthew Murrell when he was hired to replace former Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis.
“I’m just so thankful. I’ve never been this kind of emotion when a season ends, but I’m just thankful for these guys,” Beard said.
“To be in the Sweet 16 our second year at Ole Miss, it’s the players, especially these two guys to my left (Brakefield and Murrell) that endured the coaching change and stuck with us and decided to come back their last year and play for us.”
What impressed Beard, a longtime college basketball coach, most about this unique team of his was their moxy. He acknowledged how this group of players had high expectations and matched their confidence on the court.
“When we were at the Selection Sunday show in March and the name came across, it wasn’t about like we’ve made it, it was about let’s get to work — six games in three weekends,” Beard added.
“I’ve been blessed to coach a lot of great teams, but these guys were different. Literally we walked around expecting to win the SEC, expecting to win every game, and expecting to make it to San Antonio, and it was beautiful to be around.”
Next Up
The Rebels’ season comes to an end, meaning it won’t be until November when Ole Miss returns to the hardwood. But if Chris Beard can have this level of success in year two, the sky is the ceiling for future seasons in Oxford.
One thing Ole Miss will have to do in the offseason is attack the transfer portal hard. The portal opened up on Wednesday and the Rebels will look to utilize it to replace guys like Sean Pedulla, Matthew Murrell, Jaemyn Brakefield, Dre Davis, and Jaylen Murray.
“Ole Miss basketball isn’t going anywhere, and we’ll never forget these seniors that took us on a special ride this year,” Beard said, assuring Rebel faithful that this team will be a force in the future.
