Murrell, Brakefield lead No. 24 Mississippi to a 63-51 win over Georgia
Mississippi guard Matthew Murrell (11) brings the ball up court against Georgia guard Silas Demary Jr. (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Credit: AP/Bruce Newman
OXFORD, Miss. — Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield scored 15 points apiece and ignited a decisive second half rally as No. 24 Mississippi defeated Georgia 63-51 on Saturday.
Ole Miss (12-2, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) trailed 28-26 at halftime, but opened the second half with an 11-2 burst in less than four minutes, started by consecutive jumpers by Murrell and capped by consecutive baskets by Brakefield to build a 37-30 lead.
Georgia (12-2, 0-1) never led again but pulled within 45-43 on a Blue Cain jumper with six minutes remaining. Ole Miss responded with a 3-pointer by Brakefield and a Davon Barnes jumper and were never seriously threatened again.
Asa Newell led the Bulldogs with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Georgia's loss snapped a seven-game winning streak.
Takeaways
Georgia: The January schedule is top heavy with four consecutive AP Top 25 opponents.
Ole Miss: Chris Beard’s Rebels played with a sense of urgency in the second half after a repeated series of slow starts in previous games.
Key moment
Ole Miss outscored Georgia 18-4 in the opening nine minutes of the second half to build a 44-32 lead. Four Rebels had two baskets apiece in the balanced surge, shooting 7 of 12 from the field, while limiting Georgia to 2 of 14 from the field.
Georgia guard Tyrin Lawrence, right, looks for an outlet as Mississippi guard Davon Barnes (7) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Credit: AP/Bruce Newman
Key stat
Georgia was 17 of 58 from the field and 2 of 18 from the 3-point line. The Bulldogs had one field goal in the final six minutes.
Up next
Georgia opens a two-game home stand with No. 10 Kentucky on Tuesday, followed by No. 12 Oklahoma on Jan. 11. Ole Miss visits No. 23 Arkansas on Wednesday.
