Jaemyn Brakefield scores 28 points as Ole Miss basketball discovers its swagger again vs Florida

OXFORD — Ole Miss basketball did not shy away from the required response when it hosted Florida Wednesday at the SJB Pavilion.

Staring down a possible 0-2 SEC start and a whole lot of questions on the back of last Saturday’s bludgeoning from Tennessee, the Rebels (14-1, 1-1 SEC) were not tight and tentative against Florida (10-5, 0-2). Instead, in beating the Gators 103-85, Ole Miss brought a swagger and punch-first attitude.

The Rebels seamlessly adapted to the Gators’ preferred pace, running the floor aggressively against one of college basketball’s tempo leaders. They mitigated what looked like a huge interior mismatch on paper. And they didn’t allow their first loss of the season to impact their confidence, taking audacious fadeaway jump shots, swatting shots and letting Gators defenders know they were “too small” when making plays inside.

Jaemyn Brakefield goes off again for Ole Miss basketball

The main instigator for the Rebels offensively remained forward Jaemyn Brakefield.

The Jackson native carried over a strong performance against Tennessee, posting a career-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting.

He tormented the Gators inside and out, connecting on two 3-pointers and a handful of outside jump shots while also showcasing his ability to score in the paint. Brakefield finished off a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays.

FULL UPDATES: Ole Miss basketball live score updates vs. Florida: Rebels face Gators in SEC play

Rebels hang with Florida in the paint, dominate from deep

Brakefield’s efforts contributed to a remarkable interior effort by the Rebels, who often cede control of the painted area even in victories.

Florida, the sixth-most-efficient offensive rebounding team in college basketball entering action Wednesday, outdid the Rebels 26-10 on the offensive glass.

But that didn’t translate into a considerable advantage when it came to points in the paint. The Rebels drew Florida 42 to 42 in that category. Ole Miss’ rim protectors imposed themselves on the game, too. Jamarion Sharp swatted a school-record nine shots as the Rebels finished with 16 total blocks.

Those numbers gave Ole Miss a chance to win. Its outside shooting removed any doubt.

The Rebels connected on eight of their 20 attempts from downtown, continuing their season-long trend of efficient 3-point shooting.

Matthew Murrell and Allen Flanigan bounce back

As usual, guard Matthew Murrell helped key Ole Miss’ efforts from deep.

He drilled three 3-pointers on his way to a 23-point performance. The Rebels needed improvement from Murrell, who turned in by far his worst performance of the season against Tennessee, hitting just four of his 12 field-goal attempts on his way to nine points.

Allen Flanigan, who was also out of sorts against the Vols, responded to shoot 6-of-11 from the field for 17 points.

Up next

Ole Miss will remain at home, with Vanderbilt scheduled to visit the SJB Pavilion on Saturday (Noon, SEC Network). The Commodores (5-10, 0-2) lost at LSU on Tuesday.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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