No. 25 Mississippi beats Southern Miss 89-72 for 12th straight win
BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Matthew Murrell had a season-high 26 points and five assists, Jaylen Murray scored 21 points and unbeaten No. 25 Mississippi defeated Southern Miss 89-72 on Saturday at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
The victory extended one of the nation’s longest winning streaks and wrapped up a 2-0 week for an Ole Miss team that’s ranked inside the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2019.
The Rebels (12-0) took control from tipoff, knocking down each of their first four 3-point attempts and eight of their first 10 total shots. The Golden Eagles (6-6) never led in the neutral-site meeting that was a 12-year first for the in-state programs.
Ole Miss entered the game as a top-20 team in 3-point shooting and took advantage against an Eagles’ defense that ranked 314th at defending such shots.
Led by five 3s from Murray and three from Murrell, the Rebels buried 10 shots from deep in 18 attempts.
Southern Miss was led off the bench by Cobie Montgomery, who scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half. The Golden Eagles’ bench produced 40 points while the starting five hit just 10 field goals.
Former Rebel and USM leading scorer Austin Crowley was shut out in the first half with three turnovers before exiting the game in the second after suffering an apparent head injury on a missed layup attempt.
BIG PICTURE
The Rebels continue their chase for the hottest start in program history. The 12 straight wins to open the year are the second-most in program history, one shy of the 13-0 start Ole Miss enjoyed in 2007-08.
Southern Miss will enter conference play with a losing record against Division I opponents for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss: Hosts Bryant on Sunday, Dec. 31.
Southern Miss: Visits Georgia Southern on Saturday, Dec. 30.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball