The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
9-7, 2-2
#22 Auburn
15-1, 3-0
Rebels Fall to No.22 Auburn 85-70
1/9/2018 | Men's Basketball
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) Desean Murray had 16 points and eight rebounds to help No. 22 Auburn erase a ten-point halftime deficit and beat Ole Miss 85-70 on Tuesday night.
Auburn (15-1, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) won its 13th straight game overall and opened 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 2002-03. Auburn had lost 10 straight against Ole Miss.
Mustapha Heron added 15 points for Auburn, and Afernee McLemore added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Breein Tyree led the Rebels (9-7, 2-2) with 24 points.
Playing its first home game as a ranked team since 2000, Auburn came out flat, missing its first four shots and shooting 34 percent from the field in the first half, including 3 of 17 from deep.
Auburn emphasized attacking the basket after halftime, as the Tigers went ten minutes without attempting a 3-point shot to open the second half. Auburn went 29 for 37 at the free-throw line and outscored Ole Miss 50-25 in the second half.
Playing without leading scorer Deandre Burnett, Ole Miss silenced the Auburn crowd early, scoring 14 points off 11 Auburn turnovers and taking a 45-35 halftime lead. The Rebels shot just 26 percent in the second half.
BIG PICTURE
Ole Miss: Tyree replaced Burnett in the starting lineup and led the Rebels on 7-of-18 shooting. Dominik Olejniczak had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Auburn: The Tigers can stretch their undefeated start with winnable upcoming games against Mississippi State, Alabama, Georgia and Missouri. They aren't slated to face a ranked opponent until they host Kentucky on Feb. 14.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss: Hosts Florida on Saturday.
Auburn: Plays at Mississippi State on Saturday.
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