By Raegan Cohn
Hotty Toddy Intern
The Ole Miss Rebels have officially kicked off the ‘23-24 basketball season.
On Monday night, they secured their first win against Alabama State. This marks their first win under new head coach Chris Beard.
The Rebels shot poorly throughout the game, only shooting 37% from the floor. Their defense, however, helped bring home the win. They put up six steals and eight blocks. The defense also held Alabama State to 27%.
The Rebels leading scorer, Matthew Murrell, put up 16 points on 6 of 18 shots. He also claimed nine rebounds.
Allen Flanigan also helped lead the way offensively for the Rebs. He secured a double-double, with 15 points and 12 boards.
At halftime, the Rebels were up 35-30.
Out of halftime, the Rebels never gave up their lead. Alabama State cut it to 45-44, but the Rebels did not freight. From here, TJ Caldwell took over.
Caldwell scored 12 out of his 15 points in the second half. These points helped cap off the Rebels scoring streak, which stretched their lead to 59-48.
The final score of the game was 69-59.
The Rebels next face off against Eastern Washington on Friday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.