Box Score LITTLE ROCK - Ole Miss (5-2) shot 59.6 percent from the field and hit 11 three pointers on its way to an 84-70 victory over the UALR men's basketball team (6-4) at the Jack Stephens Center on Saturday afternoon. Chris Warren led all players with 18 points and seven assists, while Reginald Buckner totaled 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks to help the Rebels hand UALR its first homecourt loss of the season.
The Trojans fell behind by 17 points in the first half after Ole Miss opened the game on 14-0 run, but rallied to pull within six at the half, 42-36. But the Rebels dashed any hopes of a Trojan comeback by shooting 65.2 percent from the field over the final 20 minutes (15-of-23).
Ole Miss connected on 11-of-22 three-point attempts in the win, with Dundrecous Nelson and Zach Graham going 3-for-4 and 3-for-5 from long range, respectively. Graham chipped in 17 points off the bench by making 6-of-10 field goal attempts, while Trevor Gaskins rounded out Ole Miss' four double-figure scorers with an 11-point, eight-rebound performance.
UALR senior Matt Mouzy made 3-of-7 from beyond the arc and finished with a team-high 13 points off the bench in the loss. Mouzy was the only Trojan to score in double figures, as seniors Solomon Bozeman and Derrick Bails followed with nine points apiece. Bozeman's nine-point effort allowed him to surpass the 1,000-point milestone for his collegiate career, combining his UALR and South Florida scoring totals.
UALR was outrebounded by four (38-to-34) but came up with 13 offensive rebounds against the Rebels. After committing a season-high 17 turnovers against Philander Smith on Tuesday, the Trojans committed just nine turnovers in the loss to Ole Miss. UALR shot 39.1 percent from the field on the night, including a 4-of-17 effort from three-point range (23.5 percent).
Ole Miss opened the game on a 14-0 run, as UALR misfired on its first 11 field goal attempts. The Rebels, meanwhile, made 7-of-10 from the field at the start of the game, including a 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc. A basket by Buckner gave the Rebels a 14-0 lead with 14:02 remaining in the first half, and the Trojans finally managed to get on the board off a jumper by Bails at the 13:49 mark - ending a 6:11 scoring drought to start the game.
UALR, which enjoyed a 32-to-22 scoring edge in the paint, used one layup after another to work its way back into the game. Trailing 26-12, UALR put together an 11-3 run to pull within six, 29-23, with 5:23 left in the half. A three pointer by Warren and a layup by Graham allowed Ole Miss to extend its lead back to 10 points, 37-27, but the Trojans ripped off a quick 9-2 spurt to make it a three-point game, 39-36. After Bails' jumper with 50 seconds left in the half brought the Trojans within three, Henry answered with a three pointer to give Ole Miss a 42-36 lead at the break.
Senior Alex Garcia-Mendoza scored the first bucket of the second half to make it a four-point contest, 42-38, but the Rebels rattled off a 17-6 run to put the game out of reach. Gaskins capped off the 17-6 run with a three-pointer at the 13:16 mark, and the Rebels led by double figures the rest of the way. Ole Miss made 8-of-11 from the field at the start of the second half, helping its lead reach as high as 20 points, 67-47, with 9:05 left in the game.
UALR returns to action Thursday when it travels to Houston, Texas to take on Rice at 7 p.m.
