The No. 25 Mississippi Rebels clinched a dramatic comeback win against LSU, finishing the game with a score of 72-70 on Saturday evening.
Despite trailing 70-65, Mississippi (18-6, 7-4 Southeastern Conference) managed to rally back in the closing moments. Sean Pedulla initiated a decisive 7-0 run by sinking two crucial free throws.
Jaemyn Brakefield hit a pivotal 3-pointer with just 45 seconds remaining, leveling the score. Dre Davis, who played a significant role with 22 points and seven rebounds, then executed a putback on Pedulla’s missed layup. Although officials initially called it offensive goaltending, the ruling was overturned after reviewing the instant replay, securing the victory for Ole Miss.
Alongside Davis, Pedulla contributed 17 points, while Brakefield tallied 11 points along with eight rebounds, and Matthew Murrell chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds.
For LSU (12-11, 1-9), Cam Carter led the scoring with 16 points, while Daimion Collins added 15 points and Jordan Sears contributed 13 points to the effort. This marks LSU’s sixth consecutive loss.
Noteworthy insights from the game revealed that Mississippi entered halftime down 39-33, but that position did not concern them much as they had previously come back from similar deficits in four of their six SEC victories.
In their earlier encounter on January 11, Mississippi’s frontline of Malik Dia, Brakefield, and Davis had a dominant performance with 45 points and 28 rebounds. However, during the first half of this match, LSU managed to limit the trio to just 12 points and five rebounds before they exploded for 22 points and 12 rebounds in the second half.
A critical moment occurred after Carter missed a contested drive, with Pedulla hitting two free throws to bring the Tigers’ lead down to 70-67 with 1:29 remaining. LSU’s Corey Chest then missed two free throws before Brakefield equalized the game with his 3-pointer.
The game also showcased a struggle at the charity stripe, with both teams combining for only 32 successful free throws out of 54 attempts. LSU finished 12 for 25, while Ole Miss managed to go 20 of 29.
Looking ahead, Ole Miss is set to face South Carolina on Wednesday night, while LSU will take on Arkansas in their next contest.