Allen Flanigan scored a game-high 23 points and Ole Miss held off Sam Houston 70-67 Friday night in Oxford, Miss.
Matthew Murrell added 15 points for the Rebels (4-0), who completed their season-opening homestand undefeated.
Davon Barnes scored 22 points, Jaden Ray had 12 and Lamar Wilkerson added 11 to lead the Bearkats (1-3), who took 12 more shots from the floor than Ole Miss but were outscored 27-9 at the free-throw line.
Flanigan’s layup started the second-half scoring to tie the game and there were four more ties, with Sam Houston always taking a two-point lead.
However, Ole Miss went on an 8-1 run to take a 49-44. Sam Houston came back, taking a 63-58 lead on Wilkerson’s 3-pointer with 4:12 to play.
The Rebels went on another run, this one 8-0, capped by Jaemyn Brakefield’s three-point play for a 66-63 lead.
The Bearkats netted four straight points to lead by one, but Murray made a 3-pointer to give Ole Miss a 69-67 lead with 1:05 left.
Flanigan made one of two free throws to push the lead to three with nine seconds left, and Wilkerson missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
Barnes made two 3-pointers to help the Bearkats take a 54-50 lead.
Murrell made a 3-pointer to start the scoring, and Flanigan’s later 3-pointer gave Ole Miss a 22-11 lead.
Marcus Boykin made a 3-pointer and Damon Nicholas Jr. added a basket as Sam Houston got within six points.
The Rebels rebuilt the lead to 10 points on a basket by Jamarion Sharp before Ray made consecutive 3-pointers to get the Bearkats within four.
Flanigan made a free throw before Sam Houston tied the score at 27 on two free throws by Wilkerson.
Barnes’ 3-pointer gave the Bearkats a 33-31 halftime lead, their only lead of the half.
–Field Level Media