OXFORD, Miss. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team suffered a 91-51 loss against Ole Miss Tuesday night at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion.
Southeastern (1-2) fell in a 40-point versus Ole Miss (3-0), dropping its second loss in its eight-game road stretch. The Rebels claimed the victory as they claimed 50 points in the paint and 39 points of the green and gold's turnovers to pull away midway through the first half. Army transfer Jackson Furman ended the contest as the lone Lion in double figures, leading the team with 13 points, four rebounds and two blocks.
Furman closed out the game shooting 4-9 from the field, 1-2 from three-point range and 4-5 from the free throw line. Bryant transfer Ashley Sims II followed up with eight points and six rebounds to lead SLU on the boards. Nevada transfer Tyler Rolison and Haki Muhammad II tied with seven points as the Lions battled to cut into their deficit on the road.
The Lions opened the contest with early energy, taking a 2-0 advantage behind a layup from Yanis Ndjonga (five points). Ndjonga continued to provide an offensive spark, scoring Southeastern's first four-points as the Lions traded baskets with the Rebels through the opening minutes. Quincy Allen connected from the three-point line alongside back-to-back baskets from Rolison helped SLU establish an 11-8 advantage, but Ole Miss responded with a 12-1 scoring surge to take control of the contest.
Ole Miss found its rhythm offensively midway through the first half, using defensive pressure and transition opportunities to fuel a 21-2 scoring run. The Rebels capitalized on Southeastern's 13 turnovers in the first half to generate fast-break opportunities, creating separation behind their aggressive play on both ends of the floor. Santiago Trouet (12 points) led the charge inside, while Adam Clark (23 points) and Ilias Kamardine (12 points) contributed to the Rebels' offensive production.
Furman provided a spark for the Lions off the bench with a pair of baskets, but Ole Miss continued to extend its advantage behind efficient shooting and 25 points off turnovers in the opening half.
The Rebels closed out the opening half with a commanding 49-20 lead. Ole Miss shot 60.7 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes, while Southeastern struggled to find its offensive rhythm, shooting 33.3 percent from the floor and 12.5 percent from three-point range. Corey Stepehenson (12 points) paced Ole Miss with 10 first-half points, while Rolison led the Lions with seven.
Southeastern looked to find its footing coming out of the halftime break, with Furman knocking down a three-pointer to help spark the Lions' offense. The sophomore continued to provide an offensive presence as he led SLU in scoring throughout the contest. However, Ole Miss quickly answered, using another combination of defensive pressure and transition scoring to maintain its lead. The Rebels continued their dominant performance, attacking the basket and converting on opportunities in the paint as the hosts pushed their advantage beyond 30 points.
The Lions worked to generate offensive production throughout the second half, with Sims II providing a spark in the paint alongside Furman continuing to find opportunities around the basket. Garrett Shoemaker added four points, while Muhammad II knocked down a three-pointer to help Southeastern work through its offensive struggles. Despite the Lions' efforts, Ole Miss refused to let up, using its depth to keep Southeastern from mounting a comeback.
Ole Miss controlled the contest, outscoring Southeastern 50-18 in the paint and 27-0 in fast-break points. The Rebels also capitalized on 23 of Southeastern's turnovers while adding 41 points off the bench. Southeastern, unable to overcome its shooting struggles, connected on 35.3 percent from the field, 17.6 percent from three-point range and 63.2 percent at the free throw line. Ole Miss finished shooting 51.5 percent from the floor, 42.1 percent from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent at the charity stripe.
The Lions will look to regroup as they continue on the road, traveling to College Station, Texas. Southeastern will face Texas A&M Monday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. Monday's game against the Aggies will be streamed on the SEC Network+.
HARDWOOD CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the basketball program are encouraged to join the Hardwood Club. Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners. All membership fees and donations to Hardwood Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern basketball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Basketball, follow @LionUpMBB and @DavidKieferSLU on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
