The University of Mississippi Athletics
Holloway Leads Rebels Past Hoosiers, Faces K-State Friday
11/20/2009 | Men's Basketball
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Murphy Holloway scored a career-high 26 points and Ole Miss (3-0) gritted out an 89-71 win over the Indiana Hoosiers (2-1) in the first round of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off Thursday.
The Rebels had 12 blocks and eight steals in the first-round win and advance to play Kansas State Friday at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Ole Miss' 89 points were the most scored by a team in the three-year history of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, surpassing Missouri's 87 scored in a game last season.
Holloway had seven rebounds to go with his career high in points, which surpassed his previous high of 18 set last year against Tennessee. Chris Warren helped with 16 points, while Eniel Polynice and Zach Graham chipped in 10 points apiece. Polynice dished out seven assists, and Reginald Buckner grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds.
The Rebels' 12 blocked shots were one shy of a school record.
Indiana led 20-11 after the first six minutes of play before Ole Miss reeled off a 22-3 run that put the Rebels ahead 33-23 entering the final six minutes of the first half.
Sporting a 45-36 halftime lead, Ole Miss continued to get points in transition, especially off layups and chip ins from Holloway, who scored 19 points in the second half.
The Rebels out-rebounded the Hoosiers 46-43 and scored 28 second-chance points to IU's 15. Led by Graham's 10 points, Ole Miss' bench out-scored Indiana's by a 25-9 margin.