South Carolina Gamecocks vs Mississippi Rebels Match Player Stats On Mar 11, 2021

Jarkel Joiner scored 18 points as Ole Miss strengthened its case for a potential NCAA at-large bid with a 76-59 victory over South Carolina in the second round of the SEC tournament Thursday night in Nashville, Tenn.

Romello White added 17 points and Devontae Shuler, who was named first-team All-SEC earlier in the week, had 15 as the sixth-seeded Rebels (16-10) won their third consecutive game and eighth of 10. They defeated the Gamecocks 81-74 on Feb. 13 in Columbia, S.C.

The Rebels will face third-seeded LSU in the quarterfinals Friday night.

Jaylin McCreary scored 15 points, Wildens Leveque added 14 and AJ Lawson had 12 to lead the 11th-seeded Gamecocks, who finished 6-15 after losing for the ninth time in 10 games.

South Carolina shot just 35.6 percent (21 of 59) on field goals, including 18.2 percent (2 of 11) on 3-pointers, as well as 68.2 percent (15 of 22) on free throws.

Ole Miss held a 15-point halftime lead, but South Carolina started the second half with an 8-2 run to get within 43-34 after three minutes.

Joiner made a basket and added a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 52-36.

The Gamecocks cut the deficit to 12 points twice, but Matthew Murrell made back-to-back layups for the Rebels.

Shuler made a field goal and assisted on another by White as Ole Miss increased its lead to 68-50 with 3:49 remaining.

The lead changed hands four times and the score was tied three times in the early going, the last deadlock coming at 15-all.

Murrell's 3-pointer broke the tie and gave the Rebels the lead for good, though the Gamecocks twice got within two points before going cold.

Ole Miss closed the half with a 14-2 run as South Carolina made just one field goal in the last 7 1/2 minutes. That left the Rebels with a 41-26 halftime lead.

--Field Level Media