Kobe Brown scored 12 points of his 16 in the second period as Missouri, 12th seed, beat Mississippi, 13th-seeded Mississippi to win Wednesday’s Southeastern Conference tournament opening.
Ronnie DeGray III scored 14 points and made three 3-pointers in the first period to help the Tigers (12-20), keep up their pace.
In Thursday’s second round, Missouri will face fifth-seeded LSU. LSU won the regular season matchup 75-55.
Matthew Murrell had 16 points, while Jarkel Joiner had 13, for the Rebels (13-19), which lost their fifth consecutive game.
During the regular season, Missouri defeated Ole Miss twice. The Tigers defeated the same team only three times during a single season in 2012 (Baylor, Texas).
After a 32-all first half, Ole Miss led by five points. Missouri opened the second period outscoring Rebels 13-2. With 11 1/2 minutes left, the lead was 14 and it remained in double figures.
DeGray made his debut about four minutes into game. He hit three straight 3-pointers, and then added a second 2-pointer to give Missouri 11 consecutive points. Amari Davis also came off the bench and scored two points to bring the Tigers back within the halftime line.
Missouri finished at 54%, compared to 41% for the Rebels, in both halves. It was also plus-12 on the boards.
