Ole Miss comes out victorious in tight game at Temple

PHILADELPHIA – Drawing a foul with nine seconds left to play, Allen Flanigan sunk a pair of free throws to put Ole Miss on top of Temple, helping them secure a 77-76 win in their first road game of the season on Wednesday night in the Liacouras Center.

For the third time in five games this season, Flanigan led the team in scoring with 26 points while adding eight rebounds and a career-high seven assists. TJ Caldwell turned in a strong performance with 14 points, 10 of which came in the second half.

The Rebels (5-0) were first on the scoreboard, as Jaemyn Brakefield found Flanigan in the corner for three. Ole Miss would build a solid lead in the first half, as a jumper from Brakefield with 11:26 put the Rebels up 11. Ole Miss eventually took the largest lead of the game with 6:55 before the half on a three from Robert Cowherd to go up 13, and would take a 38-33 advantage into the midway break.

Behind a strong shooting performance, the Rebels were able to maintain a lead for most of the second half of action. However, Temple (3-2) sunk one of their seven second-half threes with 2:51 left on the clock to cut the Ole Miss lead to one. Moments later, the Owls drew a foul to head to the free throw line and take their first lead of the game on a pair of makes.

The two teams scrapped to get an edge in the closing minute and a half, with the possession arrow favoring the Rebels after a lengthy scrum for the ball. With 17 seconds on the clock, head coach Chris Beard called his final timeout of the game.

Taking the ball near the top of the key, Flanigan drove to the paint and drew the foul, heading to the line to shoot his sixth and seventh shots from the line. The senior guard came up clutch with two makes to make it 77-76. With nine seconds left to play, Temple missed their final shot attempt as Ole Miss protected their undefeated record.

The Rebels were efficient on the offensive end against Temple, shooting over 50% from both the field and three-point line for the first time in a game since January 25, 2020. Jamarion Sharp added three blocks to his total on the season, now with 14 through five games.

The team’s leading scorer on the season, Hysier Miller paced Temple with 21 points. Zion Stanford and Matteo Picarelli added 14 each.

Ole Miss returns home next week for two big games in the SJB Pavilion, beginning with NC State on Tuesday, November 28 at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.