Ole Miss Basketball's Second Half Post Presence Spurred Win Over Lindenwood

The Ole Miss Rebels attacked the paint on Saturday, and it pulled away for a win against Lindenwood.

Dec 7, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels forward Mikeal Brown-Jones (1) shoots the ball against Lindenwood Lions forward Jordan Wildy (4) during the second half at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels moved to 8-1 following their 86-53 win over Lindenwood on Saturday, and despite struggling heavily in the first half, the Rebels' ability to push the paint after halftime was the key factor in their win.

The Rebels' first half was not one that will be highlighted in a positive manner by coach Chris Beard as they started off slow, only leading 39-33 over Lindenwood, a third-year Division I team, at the intermission.

However, after the break, Ole Miss' game plan shifted significantly as it was clear the Rebels wanted to attack down low, lowering their three-point attempts from 16 in the first to just seven in the second.

This new game plan helped them jump out to a 20-point lead with 10 minutes remaining. Not only was the offensive switch a factor, but the defensive side was as well. The Rebels held the Lions to just 20 second half points while out rebounding them 22-14, with 18 of those boards eliminating second chance opportunities.

Postgame on the court, Mikeal Brown-Jones was interviewed and was asked about Coach Beard’s halftime message which Jones responded with “start to get aggressive,” which the Rebels did as they upped their free throw totals to 22 attempts after shooting just two from the stripe in the first half.

A couple of those free throws came as huge momentum-shifting "and ones" from Jameyn Brakefield, Sean Pedulla and Dre Davis.

The ability to continue to pound the ball down low is one that Beard praised postgame.

“We have a diverse offense," Beard said. "We have good players. I think from a coaching standpoint, we just try to find out in the flow of the game what's going to give our team the best chance to be successful, so today, we we went inside in the second half. I thought it was the right decision.”

With this win, the Rebels moved to 8-1 on the year, and they will look to claim an in-state win next Saturday against Southern Miss. That game is set to take place in Biloxi, Mississippi, at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.