Ole Miss Falls to No. 11 Auburn’s Second Half Surge

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI/AP) — Bryce Brown scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half to lead No. 11 Auburn over Mississippi 79-70 on Tuesday night.

Auburn (20-2, 8-1 Southeastern Conference) beat Ole Miss for the second time this season. Brown made 9 of 16 shots from the field, including three 3-pointers.

Mustapha Heron added 16 points for the Tigers. Jared Harper had 13 points and seven assists.

Ole Miss (11-11, 4-5) lost for the first time at home during conference play. The Rebels were led by Deandre Burnett, who scored 16 points. Terence Davis, Markel Crawford and Devontae Shuler each added 11.

Auburn hit six 3-pointers in the first half on the way to a 38-36 halftime lead. The Rebels managed to keep the game close despite rampant foul trouble — seven players had two fouls before the break.

Ole Miss trailed the entire second half. The Rebels pulled within 59-55 with eight minutes remaining, but Auburn responded with a 13-2 run and cruised to its fourth straight win.

Ole Miss was hurt by 17 turnovers.

BIG PICTURE

Auburn: The Tigers jumped eight spots in the most recent AP Top 25 poll and rewarded the voters’ confidence with a gritty road win. Auburn has another very winnable game this weekend when it hosts Vanderbilt.

Ole Miss: The Rebels still have a decent RPI considering their mediocre record, but they’re quickly running out of chances to make a late push into NCAA Tournament at-large consideration. Ole Miss faces a crucial road game this weekend against Tennessee.

UP NEXT

Auburn hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Ole Miss travels to face No. 18 Tennessee on Saturday.