Florida
Jaemyn Brakefield scores 28 points as Ole Miss basketball discovers its swagger again vs Florida
Chris Beard on Ole Miss basketball season so far
Here’s what Chris Beard had to say about how the Rebels have managed their nonconference slate.
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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Florida
Gas prices rise in South Florida amid U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran, as the stock market also reports a dip
Four days into the Iranian conflict, gas prices are rising at many stations in South Florida.
“I’ve traveled all over the United States,” says Stacey Williams. CBS Miami spoke to him as he was gassing up on the turnpike. He paid $66 for 20 gallons of diesel to fill his pickup truck. Williams has noted the fluctuations in fuel as he drives to locations for his work on turbines. He just spent three weeks at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant south of Miami.
“The salary we get paid per hour does not add up to what we pay for gas, housing, and food,” he says.
Mitchell Gershon is also dealing with the higher gas prices. He has to fill three vehicles constantly for his business—Thrifty Gypsy, a pop-up store at musical venues. He’s back and forth from Orlando to Miami and says fuel is costing him 20% more. When asked how he handles these fluctuations, he said, “Have a little backup cash so you are ready for it.”
The rise in oil prices contributed to a drop in the stock market on Tuesday, which means some retirement accounts dipped, too. CBS Miami talked to Chad NeSmith, director of investments at Tobias Financial Advisors in Plantation, for perspective on the drop.
“We are seeing most of the pullback today. Yesterday was a shock,” he says. He’s not expecting runaway oil prices but says investors should stay in the loop: “Pay attention to your portfolio. Stick to your goals. Have a plan because these things are completely unpredictable.”
That unpredictability has Williams adjusting his budget. “You just cut back, cut corners, all you can do,” he says.
STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop is set to be executed Tuesday evening in Florida.
Billy Leon Kearse, 53, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Kearse was initially sentenced to death in 1991 after being convicted of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.
The Florida Supreme Court found that the trial court failed to give jurors certain information about aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing. Kearse was resentenced to death in 1997.
Kearse awoke at 6:30 a.m. He declined a last meal and has remained compliant throughout the day, corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland said during a news conference. Kearse met with a spiritual adviser during the day but had no other visitors.
This is Florida’s third execution scheduled for 2026, following a record 19 executions last year. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The highest number before then was eight executions in both 1984 and 2014, under former governors Bob Graham and Rick Scott, respectively.
According to court records, Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish pulled over Kearse for driving the wrong way on a one-way street in January 1991. When Kearse couldn’t produce a valid driver’s license, Parrish ordered Kearse out of his vehicle and attempted to handcuff him.
A struggle ensued, and Kearse grabbed Parrish’s firearm, prosecutors said. Kearse fired 14 times, striking the officer nine times in the body and four times in his body armor. A nearby taxi driver heard the shots and used Parrish’s radio to call for help.
Parrish was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from the gunshot wounds, officials said. Meanwhile, police used license plate information that Parrish had called in before approaching Kearse to identify the attacker’s vehicle and home address, where Kearse was arrested.
Last week, the Florida Supreme Court denied appeals filed by Kearse. His attorneys had argued that he was unconstitutionally deprived of a fair penalty phase and that his intellectual disability makes his execution unconstitutional.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Kearse’s final appeals Tuesday afternoon without comment.
A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis, far outpacing Alabama, South Carolina and Texas which each held five executions.
Besides the two Florida executions this year, Texas and Oklahoma have each executed one person so far.
Two more Florida executions have already been scheduled for this month. Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to die on March 17, and the execution of James Aren Duckett, 68, is set for March 31.
All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.
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