Basketball
Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Defeats No. 25 LSU on the Road

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
The Ole Miss men’s basketball team roared into Baton Rouge and knocked off the No. 25 LSU Tigers 76-72 in a hardcourt thriller on Tuesday.
“I have never been more proud of a locker room than that group,” Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis said. “Came out and played as good as we could play. We found a way. That team competed and I am just so happy for them.”
Ole Miss (12-10, 3-6 SEC) was led in the game by Daeshun Ruffin with 19 points. Ruffin had 13 points in the first half.
“Daeshun got us off to a great start and played great,” Davis said.
Ruffin left the game with a right knee injury at the 12:02 mark in the second half.
“He is ok and is going to get checked out tomorrow,” Davis said.
A total of three Rebels scored in double figures Luis Rodriguez had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
“(Rodriguez) that is the best game he has played since being at Ole Miss,” Davis said. “He impacted a high-level game on the road with his toughness.”
“This is one of my better games,” Rodriguez said.
Nysier Brooks added 10 points.
The Rebels came out on fire against the Tigers, never allowing LSU to take the lead in the contest.
Ole Miss had its largest lead in the game of 24-points in the first half 43-19 at the 5:44 mark. The 24 points is the largest lead in Baton Rouge since the Rebels had 30 points in a 78-51 win back on Jan. 22, 2011.
In the first half, Ole Miss shot 65.4 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from beyond the arc.
LSU came out strong in the second as they chipped away at the Rebels 45-32 halftime advantage. The Tigers opened on a 6-0 run to cut it to 45-38.
LSU was led by Darius Days with 21 points and 13 rebounds. His teammates Tari Eason and Eric Gaines each added 16 points in the game.
Ole Miss had not made a field goal in over the last nine-plus minute mark down the stretch in the final 10 minutes of action. The Rebels connected at the free-throw line. LSU sent the Rebels to the line 26 times and they knocked down 19 of them at 73.1 percent.
“The free-throws were huge down the stretch,” Rodriguez said.
Ole Miss stays on the road on Saturday as they travel to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
