Mississippi @ Oklahoma State preview

Ole Miss will look to hand its second straight opponent its first loss of the season when the Rebels face an undefeated Oklahoma State squad in the championship game of the NIT Season Tip-Off Friday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Rebels earned their spot by orchestrating a 21-point second-half comeback against Penn State Wednesday, leading only for the last 13 seconds of a 74-72 victory.

As part of a career-high 15-point performance, Ole Miss junior Bryce Williams was a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range and 9-of-9 from the charity stripe while sinking the game-winning free throws that gave the Rebels their only lead of the game. “We just kept making plays after plays and drove the ball,” Rebels head coach Kermit Davis told reporters. “That was one of the best wins I’ve been a part of in 38 years of coaching.” Oklahoma State opened its season with six straight wins for the first time in five years as the Cowboys sent Syracuse to the consolation game with an 86-72 triumph Wednesday at the Barclays Center. “I thought we played aggressively, and I thought we competed really hard for 40 minutes,” Cowboys head coach Mike Boynton, who hails from Brooklyn, told the media. “I’m really proud of how our guys not only competed but followed the game plan. Coming home was cool, getting the win was even better.”

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2.

ABOUT OLE MISS (5-1): Senior Breein Tyree scored all of his 18 points after halftime against the Nittany Lions as the Rebels combined to shoot 6-for-11 from downtown and 9-for-9 from the charity stripe in the second half. Sophomore KJ Buffen had the best game of his career Wednesday as the forward scored 13 points in 39 minutes while adding career-best marks with nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. The Rebels maintained their reputation as one of the best perimeter defenses in the country as they held Penn State to 26.3 percent shooting from behind the arc and, as of Thursday, are ranked fourth nationally in 3-point defense at 23.5 percent.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (6-0): Sophomore Isaac Likekele was lights out Wednesday as he shot 8-for-11 from the floor on his way to a career-best 26 points while also chipping in eight assists, five rebounds and five steals. “(Likekele) was terrific,” Boynton told reporters. “He started every game for us as a freshman last year, really learned how to play the position. I’m really proud of the way I have watched him grow up and be a leader for our team.” Junior Yor Anei added 19 points, eight rebounds and a pair of rejections Wednesday – extending his streak of games with a block to 23 and increasing his Big 12-leading block total to 19.

TIP-INS

1. The Cowboys are 2-0 all-time against the Rebels but this will be the first meeting between the programs since 1953.

2. Oklahoma State won the NIT Season Tip-Off in 1991 and will look to become the seventh program with multiple tournament victories (Duke, Kansas, Syracuse, Arizona, North Carolina and Indiana).

3. Ole Miss G Blake Hinson returned to the starting lineup Wednesday after missing the first four games of the season with an injury and scored 17 points on 3-of-5 shooting from downtown.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 75, Ole Miss 70