Ole Miss Triumphs Over Alabama: A Thrilling 74-64 Showdown Recap (Jan 14, 2025)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Malik Dia’s 23 points, 19 rebounds, and two blocks propelled No. 21 Mississippi to a 74-64 victory over No. 4 Alabama on Tuesday.

Sean Pedulla contributed 12 points alongside three steals, while Matthew Murrell added 11. Jaylen Murray and Jaemyn Brakefield each netted 13 points off the bench for Ole Miss (15-2, 4-0 Southeastern Conference).

Aden Holloway was the top scorer for Alabama (14-3, 3-1) with 15 points, and Mark Sears added 11.

Insights

Mississippi: Dia is showing notable improvement in conference play. He achieved double-digit scoring merely twice in 14 nonconference outings, yet in his last three games, he has recorded 21, 19, and 23 points.

Alabama: Ball handling issues were a persistent challenge for Alabama earlier this season, having committed 14 or more turnovers six times within a seven-game span. The initial three conference contests exhibited slight improvement, but the Crimson Tide concluded with 21 turnovers.

Crucial moment

Pedulla’s 3-pointer with slightly over two minutes left elevated the Rebels by 12, undoing Alabama’s early six unanswered points that narrowed the margin to five. This was the second instance Pedulla provided essential separation.

Significant statistic

Ole Miss attempted 70 shots from the field, in contrast to Alabama’s 47, primarily due to the turnovers from the Crimson Tide. Although Alabama performed better per shot — shooting 43% from the field while Ole Miss shot 39% — the difference in shot attempts was overly significant to surmount.

Upcoming

Mississippi will host No. 15 Mississippi State on Saturday, whereas Alabama will travel to face No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday.

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