Rebels Crush Crusaders As Bench Unit Erupts in 98-61 Victory

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels handled the Valparaiso Crusaders on Saturday 98-61 in the SJB Pavilion thanks to a stellar showing from the home team's bench.

In a rematch of their 1998 NCAA Tournament game, the Rebels were victorious this time and won by nearly 40 points. For the first time this season, the Rebels had six players record double-digit point totals, three starters and three off the bench.

While veteran guard Matthew Murrell led Ole Miss in scoring for the fifth time this fall with 17 points, sophomore guard Daeshun Ruffin arguably had a better day.

In his second game back from injury, Ruffin led the Ole Miss bench unit in scoring with 14 points shooting an impressive 6-of-7 from the field. Ruffin played just 11 minutes but finished the day with the second-most points on the squad.

The Ole Miss bench gave a season-best performance on Saturday, as it was the first time this year every member of the unit managed to put points on the board.

Senior guard Tye Fagan scored a season-high 10 points, and forward Robert Allen found success coming off the bench recording 11 points.

The Rebels are now 7-2 going into their matchup with the UCF Knights on Wednesday.

You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

Hey Rebel Fans! Want to see the Ole Miss in action? Get your Ole Miss game tickets from SI Tickets here!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rebels? Click Here.

Follow The Grove Report On Facebook and Twitter.

Want even more Ole Miss Rebels News? Check out the SI.com team page here