For the first time in 12 years, Ole Miss will be playing basketball in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32, though the path was riddled with the hurdle of surviving a matchup against one of the sport’s most storied programs.
A heroic three-pointer by none other than veteran point guard Sean Pedulla in the waning moments of the game allowed the No. 6 seed Rebels to stave off a triumphant comeback by No. 11 seed North Carolina.
Ole Miss (23-11) posted an 18-point lead over the Tar Heels (23-14) at halftime of Friday’s game in Fiserv Forum. Showing no initial signs of slowing down, the Rebels went up 50-28 with 17:48 remaining in the contest. Then the run happened.
With 1:09 on the clock, what was once a seemingly insurmountable delta favoring Ole Miss had virtually evaporated. Courtesy of a strong offensive surge by the Tar Heels paired with an untimely series of scoring droughts by the Rebels, North Carolina had whittled its deficit down to two points and had all of the momentum.
That was until Pedulla did what he has done on multiple occasions this season — deliver when the game is on the line, sealing a 71-64 win for the red and blue.
CHEF 👨🍳 pic.twitter.com/BVcqgizaF8
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) March 21, 2025
From being called a “fraud” to being discounted by Las Vegas oddsmakers, Ole Miss had plenty of bulletin board material to work with entering the March Madness matchup. Rebel frontman Chris Beard, who is now 6-0 in the opening round of the Big Dance as a head coach, was able to instill a spark in his team.
That spark, and a heaping dose of veteran composure, led the Rebels to victory over a “blue blood” program that has produced some of basketball’s greatest players: Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter, and the list goes on.
North Carolina entered the game on little rest after having decimated San Diego State 95-68 on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. The Tar Heels shot the lights out versus the Aztecs, leading the general sports world to believe that Ole Miss was in trouble. But a tough, mentally strong Rebel group weathered a counterpunch and delivered the ultimate blow in their pursuit of a national title.
The madness is officially here this March and in year two of Beard’s reign in Oxford, this Ole Miss team will have the opportunity to make the program’s first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2001.
Game Recap
Ole Miss forward Dre Davis shot out of a proverbial cannon early in action, getting a dunk and connecting from deep to put the Rebels up 5-0 early. The three-ball continued to fall for Ole Miss. A trio of deep shots later, the Rebels found themselves up 14-4 with 15:50 left in the half.
Back-to-back triples by North Carolina, one of which was hit by former ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, worked the Tar Heels within four points on the scoreboard in no time. Ole Miss was not intimidated, though.
Rebel big man Malik Dia exploited a size advantage down low offensively as Dre Davis knocked down his third triple of the half, putting the red and blue up 23-12 nearing the midway point of the half.
The momentum-packed half continued for Ole Miss. A deep shot by Sean Pedulla gave Ole Miss its largest lead of the afternoon, 18 points with 3:50 on the clock. Then the Rebels encountered something they had managed to tactfully avoid: a scoring drought.
For the remainder of the half, Ole Miss did not hit another field goal. The silver lining is that North Carolina only made one shot from the floor in that stint, sending the Rebels to halftime with a 44-26 lead.
At the start of the second half, it appeared that Ole Miss was going to run away with the contest, leaving no room for questioning their dominance. The Rebels opened things up on a 6-2 run, with Davis and Jaemyn Brakefield being the catalysts. Up 22 with just under 18 minutes left in regulation, things were looking solid for a team in its first Big Dance in six years.
Initial efforts by North Carolina’s Ven-Allen Lubin and Seth Trimble to work the Tar Heels back within arms reach were initially fruitless as Ole Miss maintained a near-20-point lead. But the Rebels suddenly showed a chink in the armor, and North Carolina smelled blood.
A three by Drake Powell inched the Tar Heels closer on the scoreboard and Ole Miss’ buffer was reduced to 11 with 10:28 on the game clock. Back-to-back buckets by Rebel guard Matthew Murrell gave Ole Miss much-needed points to stave off an avalanche on the other end.
What Ole Miss had mostly avoided in the first half reared its ugly head with the game on the line. After Murrell’s jumper that gave the Rebels a 63-48 lead with 8:55 left in regulation, Ole Miss went six minutes without scoring a single point.
And North Carolina pounced. At the five-minute mark, the Tar Heels had minimized their deficit to four points. A layup by Pedulla with 2:56 left in action put Ole Miss up two possessions. Just under two minutes later, a successful three-point play converted by RJ Davis had North Carolina within two points.
Ole Miss had neared complete meltdown mode down the stretch, but even then, the stars shined when the lights were brightest as survival instincts kicked in. Pedulla’s late three-pointer and a pair of free throws one offensive possession later, the Rebels had evaded disaster.
Impact Players
Sean Pedulla, who was undoubtedly the player of the game, finished the afternoon with 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists. The Virginia Tech transfer shot 50% from the field. Dre Davis was Ole Miss’ top performer in the first half, as he sunk a trio of three-pointers to help the Rebels build a nice buffer. He finished the outing with 15 points and eight rebounds. Jaemyn Brakefield had 12 points on the afternoon.
For North Carolina, RJ Davis led a relatively balanced scoring attack with 15 points, though he was a stunning 1-8 from behind the arc. Ven-Allen Lubin, who was an efficient 6-7 from the field, was the Tar Heels’ No. 2 guy with 14 points. Foul trouble curtailed what could have been a breakout second half for the forward.
Deciding Factor
An early hot hand, especially one from three-point range, was the ultimate factor in Friday’s March Madness battle. Ole Miss hit 44% of its shots compared to North Carolina only being successful on 38% of its attempts. The Rebels knocked down three more triples than their counterpart.
Ole Miss also found a rare win in the rebounding battle, securing six more boards than North Carolina.
Other notable metrics favored Tar Heels, including turnovers and points in the paint. The ACC squad had five fewer turnovers and six more points off of giveaways committed by its foe. North Carolina also had a 32-24 advantage in points scored down low.
Ultimately, the clutch gene of Pedulla was the greatest difference maker in what was almost one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA Tournament history.
Next Up
Ole Miss will continue postseason play on Sunday at a time to be determined. The Rebels will take on No. 3 seed Iowa State, who is coming off an 82-55 win over No. 14 seed Lipscomb.
This will be Rebel fans’ first chance to watch their team in action in the Round of 32 since 2013. The last time Ole Miss made it this far in the tournament, the infamous “Southwest Philly floater” hit by LaSalle’s Tyrone Garland ended the Rebels’ season.
