Ole Miss men’s basketball bounced back from a slow first half via an intense defensive effort in the back half, riding big runs in the closing minutes to a 73-58 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Friday afternoon.
The Rebels (4-2) trailed the Delta Devils (0-3) 38-33 at halftime, but Ole Miss came out of the break energized, holding MVSU to just 31.8 percent shooting in the back half while using the free throw line to their advantage – knocking in 11-of-13 in the second half alone for a game total of 17-of-24. Ole Miss was also more active on the glass in the second half, dominating the rebounding battle 22-13 in the second, which included a 10-4 edge on the offensive side. Four Rebels were in double-digits on Friday, led by the first Ole Miss double-double of the season from graduate transfer Nysier Brooks (15 points, 10 rebounds).
“For the first 20 minutes, we couldn’t get in a rhythm. We couldn’t stop them,” said Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis. “Felt in the second half that we rebounded it better, played inside-out. Kind of how the score should look, maybe. But, give Mississippi Valley credit, they played totally different than they played in the first two games. They controlled the tempo. They didn’t play as fast, which really helped them in this kind of game.”
Ole Miss took a 29-21 lead at the 6:01 mark of the first half, but the Delta Devils mounted a surge from that point, closing the period on a 17-2 stretch that included a 10-0 run as well to take a 38-33 lead into the break. MVSU closed 6-of-8 from the field and were led by Robert Carpenter, who scored 15 of his game high and Ole Miss season opponent game high 27 points in the first half. Carpenter was 10-of-19 from the floor on the day, including a 5-of-7 clip from beyond the arc to go along with seven boards.
The Rebels turned up the defensive intensity coming out of the locker room, and it paid off big dividends. Ole Miss forced eight of their 12 total turnovers in the back half, which led to an ultimate 15-2 split in points off turnovers. That energy in transition helped spur the Rebels to a 15-2 run to open the half (with a 9-0 stretch included) and take back the lead for good. The Delta Devils would continue to make things interesting for a bit, getting as close as one at 9:52 (53-52), but the Rebels put it away with a 20-6 run that included an 11-0 cherry on top toward the victory.
“We (wanted) to start by applying pressure,” said Ole Miss senior Robert Allen. “We were kinda laid back a little bit, and I feel like pressure and energy, we just have to bring more energy to the court. I feel like that is one of our biggest problems, is we are just too laid back, so we just need more pressure on the ball and put them in a hard predicament and make them make a choice.”
Allen was one of the four Rebels in double-digits, tallying 11 points, six boards and two steals. Three of his rebounds were on the offensive glass, and he also knocked in his third career trifecta as a Rebel. Others in double figures included Jarkel Joiner (15 points, seven rebounds, three assists), Luis Rodriguez (11 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal) and a big day from Nysier Brooks, who notched the first Ole Miss double-double of the year at 15 points, 10 rebounds and a career-best 9-of-10 mark from the free throw line – which included a perfect 6-of-6 performance in the second half.
“I have just really been trying to find my way on the defensive side of the ball with these last couple of games,” Brooks said. “Just get back to the person I am and what I’m known for, and that is just rebounding the ball and having a defensive presence on the ball, whether it is outside or at the run. I’m still in that adaptive mode trying to learn which players, who passes the certain way, or who is going to switch, and stuff like that, and knowing my own teammates.”
Also having solid days were Austin Crowley (nine points, five assists, two rebounds, one steal) and Jaemyn Brakefield (eight points, three rebounds, two steals).
Ole Miss returns for the second of a three-game homestand, welcoming Rider (3-4) to SJB Pavilion on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. CT.
“College basketball: it’s a long time; you got to keep trying to get better and better and better,” Davis said. “We had some moments of good play. Glad to win and move on and get ready for Rider on Tuesday.”
