No. 24 Ole Miss has little trouble with LIU

Hot-shooting Jaylen Murray scored 24 points and No. 24 Ole Miss topped Long Island University 90-60 in the season opener for both teams Monday night in Oxford, Miss.

Murray made 7 of 10 field goal attempts, 5 of 8 three-pointers and 5 of 5 free throws. Jaemyn Brakefield added 12 points and Matthew Murrell and Seton Hall transfer Dre Davis had 11 each for the Rebels, who were 20-12 last season and were ranked No. 9 in the SEC preseason media poll.

Malachi Davis, a transfer from Arizona State who was selected to the Preseason All-Northeast Conference team, and Brent Davis each scored 19 points to lead the Sharks, who were 7-22 last season and fifth in the NEC preseason poll occupied place.

The two Davises combined to shoot 12 of 27 from the floor, but their teammates shot a combined 8 of 31.

Ole Miss made 25 of 32 free throws and LIU made 15 of 24. The Rebels had a 32-14 advantage in bench scoring and trailed for just 71 seconds in the game.

Brent Davis made a 3-pointer and two of three free throws to start the second half and put the Sharks up 44-32.

Belmont transfer Malik Dia, Dre Davis and Sam Houston transfer Davon Barnes scored in a row for Ole Miss and increased the lead to 18 points.

Brent Davis scored five points to help LIU get within 14 points, but Murray hit a three-pointer during an 11-2 run that gave Ole Miss a 64-41 lead.

Neither team scored until Malachi Davis scored at 3:15. The lead changed hands twice and the score was tied three times before Virginia Tech transfer Sean Pedulla's 3-pointer started a 10-0 run that gave the Rebels a 20-10 lead.

Brakefield made a 3-pointer and Murray made three, the last of which came with four seconds left, increasing the lead to 44-27 at halftime.

–Field level media