A late three-pointer by Sean Pedulla allowed Ole Miss to avoid disaster, and a fourth consecutive loss, in an 87-84 nailbiter over Oklahoma.
“I grew up watching Oklahoma. I was definitely a fan. I went to games all the time, so to grow up and play them for the first time in one of my last college games ever was definitely awesome,” Pedulla, an Oklahoma native, said.
The Rebels (20-9, 9-7 SEC) came into Saturday’s home matchup against the Sooners (17-12, 4-12 SEC) looking to bounce back from an embarrassing 30-point loss at No. 1 Auburn. Chris Beard’s squad opened up red-hot and proved to be the better team for the bulk of the matchup, but the visitors mounted a strong rebuttal and had a legitimate shot at stealing a victory in a conference opponent’s home gym. Nonetheless, those efforts ultimately proved futile as the Rebels held strong.
“I think they’re really good. They’re tough. They’re disciplined. They have older veteran guards,” Oklahoma frontman Porter Moser said of Ole Miss’ chances in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. “I think they’re one of many teams in the SEC that can make a long run and play in the last weekend.”
Speaking of March Madness, Ole Miss earning its ninth conference win will prevent the Rebels from having a losing record among SEC opponents this season, and likely stamped the team’s ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Recent projections have the Rebels as a 6 or 7 seed when brackets are finalized.
Game Recap
Oklahoma committed four turnovers in the first two and a half minutes of action, but Ole Miss failed to capitalize until Dre Davis connected on a three-pointer to give the Rebels a 3-0 lead with 17:31 on the clock. A three-ball by Jaylen Murray put the Rebels up 10-2 at the 14:09 mark and the Sooners looked overwhelmed on the offensive end.
Brycen Goodine ignited a spark for the visitors with a deep shot to cut the Rebels’ lead in half. Oklahoma then got within three points on the scoreboard with 12:07 remaining in the first half. Rebel point guard Sean Pedulla took matters into his own hands, knocking down back-to-back triples to give his team some separation on the scoreboard. Ole Miss stepped on the gas, claiming a 30-19 advantage at the 7:29 mark.
The pendulum then swung in the Sooners’ favor. Ole Miss managed to hit just four shots and a free throw down the stretch as Duke Miles and Jeremiah Fears heated up for Oklahoma. A three-pointer by Miles gave the visiting team their first lead of the contest. Davon Barnes hit the last shot of the half to put Ole Miss up 39-38 at the intermission. Both Pedulla and Davis picked up two fouls in the first 20 minutes, stymying the Rebels’ efforts on both ends of the floor.
Both teams went back and forth to start the second half, but Ole Miss managed to stay ahead for the most part. A three-point play by Kobe Elvis gave Oklahoma a 51-50 lead with 14:19 on the clock. The Rebels found success working the low post and drawing fouls, earning free points from the charity stripe as the Sooners cooled offensively.
A three by Pedulla following a heroic save by the Virginia Tech transfer cemented a 19-9 run in favor of Ole Miss, putting the Rebels up 69-60 with 8:18 left in the game. Though the Rebels had the momentum, Oklahoma guard Dayton Forsythe was not about to let his team leave Craddock Court without a fight.
The freshman scored 12 of the next 18 points for the Sooners, nine of which came from behind the arc, and just like that, the road team had jumped back on top, leading 78-77 with the clock dwindling. Ole Miss aided in Oklahoma’s efforts with two bad pass turnovers that kept them from separating on the scoreboard.
Jaemyn Brakefield, who had been a successful asset in the second half, missed a pair of free throws at the two-minute mark with the contest knotted up 80-80. The senior from Jackson atoned for his error by drawing a foul on a successful layup, but missed the subsequential free shot.
Miles, one of Oklahoma’s most efficient offensive players of the afternoon, crashed to the basket on the Sooners’ next offensive drive and hit a layup to put his team up two. Ole Miss had just over 30 seconds to work with, but Pedulla, after having a driving lane cut off, pulled up for three and the biggest bucket of the night.
SEAN PEDULLA 🙌@PedullaSean x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/gZ7m1Z6so0
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) March 1, 2025
Oklahoma moved the ball across half-court with 14.4 seconds on the clock. Both head coaches exchanged timeouts to prepare their squads. Forsythe found himself with the ball and falling out of bounds before chucking up a shot that went over the basket. Moser, the freshman’s head coach, thought his young guard was fouled. But a whistle didn’t sound.
On the ensuing inbound, Pedulla hurled a deep pass to Matthew Murrell. The senior Rebel guard drew a flagrant one, gifting him two free throws and his team an offensive possession with a few seconds remaining in the cathartic game.
Murrell sunk both free throws, ensuring his team would not lose in regulation. A botched inbounds pass gave Oklahoma a prayer, but it was too late. Ole Miss walked away an 87-84 victor and have now notched a 12-3 record at home this season.
Impact Players
Sean Pedulla was undoubtedly the player of Saturday’s game. The senior had 26 points and five rebounds, but was most effective in clutch moments. Pedulla shot 50% from the floor and was 5-9 from three-point range. Jaemyn Brakefield had 16 points off the bench and provided a spark for the team down low. Dre Davis had 13 points in the matchup.
Dayton Forsythe was the catalyst behind Oklahoma’s valiant efforts on the road. The freshman had a game-second-best 25 points and was 4-5 from deep. He was also an efficient 7-7 from the free-throw line. Duke Miles scored 15 points for the Sooners while also recording five assists and grabbing four rebounds.
Deciding Factor
Saturday’s battle between the Rebels and Sooners was remarkably even. The biggest difference was Pedulla being clutch in big moments, allowing his team to squeak out a close win.
Oklahoma shot 53% from the field while Ole Miss made 51% of its shots. The Sooners were more effective from three-point range, making 10-22 deep shots while the Rebels hit just 8 of 24 looks.
Ole Miss had four more points in the paint and one additional second-chance point. The Rebels also had three more points from the charity stripe. Rebounding was virtually neutral, and while Ole Miss won the turnover battle, the points scored off of turnovers did not favor either team.
Coach’s Comments
In a one-possession final outcome, Chris Beard touted the balance of his veteran-heavy team in overcoming a near-collapse and finding a way to win. Ole Miss had five players with double digits on the scoreboard when the clock struck 0:00, something the Rebel frontman lauded as the team’s offensive identity.
“The depth and the balance, when we needed it the most, was here today,” Beard said. “We had enough balance and enough guys bring their ‘A-game’ offensively and were basically able to win a one-possession game against a quality opponent.”
Beard, who acknowledged that he didn’t get caught up in his team losing three straight games, is looking to instill a March Madness mindset into his team — one that makes his guys walk into each upcoming matchup with the fire and tenacity as if it’s their last guaranteed contest.
“We needed to protect our home court today. We understand the opportunities that we have coming after this game,” Beard said. “It’s March. What win in March isn’t a ‘must-win’? I guess some teams go to their conference tournament and maybe don’t value that as much, but that’s not us. We’ve always thought that you want to go into the NCAA Tournament winning games.”
Next Up
Ole Miss will stay put at home and welcome No. 5 Tennessee for the penultimate regular season matchup. The game, which will be the Rebels’ senior night, will begin at 8 p.m. CT. ESPN2 and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations will be airing the contest.
