Ole Miss Lights it Up from Perimeter in Exhibition Victory

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI/Ole Miss Athletics) – Ole Miss used a strong second half to cruise past Morehouse College 90-66 in an exhibition game on Thursday night.

“Different guys play differently when you put guys in the stands,” Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy said. “It was good. We have a lot of work on. We’ll break this down and teach. We have about eight days before it starts counting for real.”

Ole Miss showed off a versatile offense with several different weapons to score points. The team showed range, knocking down 12 3-pointers. For comparison, the team only knocked down more shots from beyond the arc once last season.

Junior Cullen Neal led the way offensively for Ole Miss with 19 points. Joining Neal in double-figures were Deandre Burnett (17 points), Rasheed Brooks (17 points), Terence Davis (14 points), and Sebastian Saiz (11 points). Saiz hauled in a game-high nine rebounds while Neal led all players with seven assists.

“It’s hard to catch a rhythm when I’m playing as many guys as many minutes as I am, some guys that won’t be playing as many when it starts for real,” Kennedy said. “I’m trying to give them some experience and an opportunity.”

The Rebels shot 50 percent from the field and overwhelmed Morehouse on the boards to the tune of a +16 rebounding margin.

Ole Miss opened the game with an 18-3 run, sparked by 3s from Neal, Burnett and Saiz. Morehouse would chip away from the lead over the first half with the game going to half at 38-33, but the Maroon Tigers never really threated Ole Miss.

The Rebels pulled away from the Maroon Tigers for good by using a 29-3 run in the early stages of the second half.

Ole Miss opens the 2016-17 season against UT Martin in The Pavilion on Friday, November 11 at 6 p.m. For ticket information, visit OleMissHoops.com.