OXFORD, Miss. -- — Jaylen Murray scored 18 of his 24 points in the first half, and No. 24 Mississippi beat Long Island 90-60 Monday night in the season opener for both teams.

Murray shot 7 for 10 from the field, including 5 for 8 on 3-pointers and 5 for 5 on free throws. The Rebels led 44-27 at halftime and increased the lead to 32 points in the second half.

Jaemyn Brakefield had 12 points and seven rebounds while Matthew Murrell and Dre Davis each scored 11 points for Mississippi.

Brent Davis and Malachi Davis each scored 19 points to lead Long Island.

Takeaways

Long Island: Head coach and former NBA guard Rod Strickland continues the building process. The Sharks won three games in 2022-23 and seven last season. This team figures to be a factor in the Northeast Conference race.

Mississippi: The blowout win against an overmatched opponent was expected but slightly blemished by a sluggish offensive performance in the opening seven minutes.

Key moment

Mississippi went on a 13-0 run midway through the first half, highlighted by 3-point shots from Sean Pedulla, Brakefield and Murray, building a 20-10 lead. Long Island never seriously threatened again.

Key stat

The Rebels finished 28 for 57 (49%) from the field after going 1 for 10 in the opening seven minutes. Misssissippi was 9 for 22 (41%) from 3-point range, with five different Rebels hitting at least one.

Up Next

Mississippi hosts Grambling on Friday night, while Long Island host Pratt in its home-opener on Saturday.

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