Senior Sebastian Saiz picked up his 13th double-double of the year with 19 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore Terence Davis added 18 points and 11 rebounds as Ole Miss downed Missouri on the road 75-71 Saturday.
Ole Miss (12-7, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) assumed an early double-digit lead following a peculiar start, in which Saiz was assessed a flagrant foul in the first 16 seconds for elbowing Missouri’s Russell Woods while going after a loose ball. The Rebels were up 22-10 within 6 minutes of play, but Missouri steadily closed the gap behind 11-point first halves from Woods and Puryear, and trailed 39-33 at halftime.
The Tigers (5-13, 0-6) put on arguably their best offensive performance of the season in the second half, shooting 9-for-17 from 3-point range and eventually taking a one-point lead following a 3-pointer by Cullen Van Leer with 7:34 remaining.
Following that sequence, Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy called timeout and the Rebels responded with an 11-1 run that seemed to halt any remaining momentum for Missouri.
However, 3-pointers by Jordan Barnett and Van Leer in the final minute made for an interesting finish, as Van Leer was fouled on a made shot with 6 seconds remaining, but missed the free-throw to make it a one-point deficit. The Rebels were 17-for-23 from the free-throw line, including 4-for-6 in the final minute.
Barnett finished with 11 points and five rebounds, and Van Leer had nine points, making 3 of 6 3-pointers.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
