BILOXI, Miss. — Sean Pedulla led the No. 19 Mississippi Rebels to a convincing 77-46 triumph over Southern Miss on Saturday evening, scoring 18 points, including six shots from beyond the arc.

Joining him in the scoring effort, Jaylen Murray contributed 14 points with four 3-pointers, while Davon Barnes made a notable impact with nine points and a personal best of 11 rebounds. Jaemyn Brakefield also chipped in with 10 points for the Rebels, who improved to a record of 9-1 following this neutral-site matchup held at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.

For the Golden Eagles, Denijay Harris was the standout performer with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. However, the team struggled offensively, finishing the game shooting only 32.7% from the floor at 16 of 49 attempts.

Pedulla’s offensive contributions were significant, as he netted 15 points and five 3-pointers by halftime, which helped Ole Miss secure a 38-28 advantage going into the break. The second half saw the Rebels dominate, outscoring Southern Miss 39-18.

In terms of key takeaways, Ole Miss continues to perform well against weaker opponents, even in the absence of guard Matthew Murrell, who missed his second consecutive game due to a lower-body injury. Conversely, Southern Miss struggled, with Harris being the only player to find any rhythm, going 6 for 12 from the field, while the rest of the squad could only muster a combined 10 of 37 shooting, translating to a disappointing 27%.

A crucial moment in the game came early, as Ole Miss quickly took command. They rattled off 12 straight points to go up 16-2 within the first seven minutes of the contest. The Rebels continued to maintain their momentum, scoring another nine consecutive points to start the second half, which included two baskets in the paint from Barnes and a 3-pointer from Murray.

Looking at the stats, Ole Miss shone with their perimeter shooting, knocking down nine 3-pointers in the first half and finishing the game at 40.6%, hitting 13 of 32 attempts. In stark contrast, Southern Miss had a tough night from deep, connecting on only four of their 23 attempts from 3-point range, which is a mere 17.4%.

Moving forward, Southern Miss will host Lamar, while Ole Miss is set to welcome Southern to their home court on Tuesday evening.