It was a successful opening night on the hardwood for Mississippi State and No. 24 Ole Miss with both squads adding early wins to their résumés to launch the 2024-25 campaign on a high note.
Here’s how it happened:
Mississippi State
Sophomore phenom Josh Hubbard had 26 points and Boston College transfer Claudell Harris, Jr. scored 20 in the Bulldogs’ 95-60 home win over West Georgia. Though the Wolves led a valiant effort in the first half, Chris Jans’ crew amassed a dominant outing in the final 20 minutes of play, scoring 55 points to seal a victory for the maroon and white.
Veteran forward KeyShawn Murphy led the Bulldogs in rebounding (7) and assists (4). Hubbard’s big night on the scoreboard resulted from efficient shooting. The Madison-Ridgeland Academy alum was 10 of 13 from the floor and six of nine from behind the three-point arc.
Collectively, the Bulldogs shot a staggering 55% from the floor and held the Wolves to a 39% shooting night. While Mississippi State was outrebounded by one board, the team made its presence known down low, outscoring West Georgia 44-28 in the paint.
Next up for Mississippi State is a Friday night matchup against Georgia State at 6:30 p.m. CT in Humphrey Coliseum. The ballgame will be broadcast on the SEC Network+ and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
Ole Miss
Returning veterans led the way for the Rebels in Monday’s 90-60 ousting of Long Island in the SJB Pavilion. Guard Jaylen Murray had 24 points, Jaemyn Brakefield scored 12, and Matthew Murrell had 11 in the contest. Ole Miss scored consistently as a team, connecting on nearly half of its field goals while holding the Sharks to a low 34% from the floor.
Brakefield led the team in rebounds with seven, and though Beard’s returners were the stars of the show, multiple newcomers made their presence known. Seton Hall transfer Dre Davis recorded 11 points and five boards. Virginia Tech transfer Sean Pedulla had a team-high five assists. Former Sam Houston State guard Davon Barnes connected on three of four shooting attempts to put seven points on the board.
As a team, the Rebels outrebounded the Sharks 42-33 and scored 10 more points in the paint. Second-year head coach Chris Beard got more from his bench as Ole Miss’ non-starters outscored Long Island’s 32-14.
Ole Miss will return to the hardwood versus Grambling State on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. The matchup will be aired on the SEC Network and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
