OXFORD, Miss. (AP) Devontae Shuler scored 20 points and sparked a decisive first-half run Friday night as Mississippi defeated Arkansas State 71-43.
Shuler had a pair of three-point shots to highlight an early 18-3 run for the Rebels (1-0), who led 39-19 at halftime. The Rebels led by as many as 29 points, the earliest at 50-21, on a pair of Shuler free throws with 13:54 left. K.J. Buffen added 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Canberk Kus and J.J. Matthews had 10 points apiece and Marquis Eaton added six rebounds and five assists for the Red Wolves (1-1). Arkansas State shot 15 of 46 (32%) from the field, six of 19 (31 %) from three-point range and seven of 12 (58%) from the free-throw line.
Ole Miss shot 25 of 56 (45%), eight of 26 (31%) from three-point range, including three from Shuler. The Rebels were 13 of 20 (65%) from the free-throw line and out rebounded the Red Wolves 40-28 while forcing 23 turnovers.
BIG PICTURE
Arkansas State: The Red Wolves, after defeating Arkansas-Monticello at home last week, did not play well in the road opener. Arkansas State had 16 turnovers and scored only three points during a pair of seven-minute stretches in the first half.
Ole Miss: After a sluggish two minutes, the Rebels controlled the tempo and had early scoring runs of 18-3, 10-0 and 16-6. Coach Kermit Davis places a premium on athletic players who are active defensively and the Rebels looked the part in the home opener.
UP NEXT
Arkansas State: Hosts VMI Thursday in the opener of the Red Wolves Classic.
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