Daeshun Ruffin scored 19 points before being injured and Ole Miss held off a second-half rally to beat No. 25 LSU 76-72 on Tuesday night in Baton Rouge, La.
Luis Rodriguez had 15 points, 12 rebounds and three steals, and Nysier Brooks scored 10 for the Rebels (12-10, 3-6 Southeastern Conference).
Darius Days had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Eric Gaines and Tari Eason scored 16 each to lead the Tigers (16-6, 4-5), who lost for the fifth time in six games.
Ole Miss led by as many as 24 points in a hot-shooting first half, but LSU chipped away and Days made back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second-half scoring and pull the Tigers within 45-38.
Ruffin scored six straight Rebels points to help them rebuild the lead to 11, but moments later he had to be helped to the locker room after he appeared to land awkwardly on his right knee when he was fouled with 12:05 left in the game.
Rodriguez went to the foul line for Ruffin, made both free throws and added a steal and a layup for a 61-48 lead. Ruffin returned to the bench a few minutes later as the lead reached 14.
Ole Miss went cold and the Tigers pulled within 68-62 on Justice Williams’ three-point play.
Rodriguez made one free throw with 4:01 left before Gaines’ basket ended a 3 1/2-minute scoring drought for LSU and cut the gap to 69-64 with 2:16 left.
The Rebels turned the ball over, and Eason’s 3-pointer got the Tigers within two.
Brooks made two free throws for Ole Miss, but Eason made a layup with 56 seconds left.
Tye Fagan made two free throws and Jaemyn Brakefield added a layup with 10 seconds left to give the Rebels enough of a cushion.
Brakefield’s 3-pointer concluded an 8-2 run that gave Ole Miss a 20-8 lead about eight minutes into the game.
The Rebels took their biggest lead at 43-19 on Rodriguez’s 3-pointer.
Ole Miss then went almost five minutes without scoring as LSU went on an 11-0 run.
Fagan’s jumper ended the drought, but Gaines answered with a layup that left the Rebels with a 45-32 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
