COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Breein Tyree scored 21 points, Devontae Shuler knocked down clutch baskets late and Ole Miss defeated Missouri 73-68 on Saturday to snap its three-game losing streak.
Missouri had a shot to tie the game with fewer than 20 seconds left, but Rebels' forward Bruce Stevens stuffed Jordan Geist's layup attempt and guard Terence Davis knocked down a pair of free throws to secure an Ole Miss victory.
Mississippi trailed 34-26 at halftime but Tyree's 3-pointer tied it at 46 with 12:20 remaining and another 3-pointer gave Ole Miss the lead, 60-59 with 5:03 to go. Later, it was sophomore guard Shuler who put the Rebels up two points with a fast-break layup with 1:28 remaining. He then knocked down a fadeaway jumper on Ole Miss' next possession to extend the team's lead to four with 52 seconds left.
In scraping by, Ole Miss (20-12, 10-8 Southeastern Conference) picked up a road win that was crucial in locking down an NCAA Tournament bid.
Missouri (14-16, 5-13) was looking to win its third straight game and move to .500. Freshman Xavier Pinson scored a career-high 20 points and his rookie counterpart Torrence Watson added 14.
BIG PICTURE
Ole Miss: The Rebels were safely in the NCAA Tournament for much of February, but a recent three-game losing streak started to move them closer to the bubble. Breaking that skid with a win against Missouri likely secured their tournament bid.
Missouri: The Tigers failed to reach .500 and couldn't win on the team's senior day, but its two leading scorers were freshmen. The future has looked bright for Missouri in its last couple of games.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss will play Thursday in the SEC Tournament. The Rebels tied Mississippi State as the sixth-place team in the conference standings.
Missouri will play Wednesday in the tournament as a 12 seed against Georgia.
