They had to work for it, but the Rebels are advancing to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Men’s Tournament after defeating North Carolina 71-64 on Friday.
No. 6-seed Ole Miss defeated No. 11 seed North Carolina 71-64 to advance to the second round of the tournament against No. 3 seed Iowa State on Sunday. But the Tar Heels made things interesting, overcoming a 44-26 halftime deficit and a 22-point deficit in the second half.
An 11-0 run by North Carolina made the score 66-64 with 1:09 left in the game and, just like he did against Arkansas in the SEC Tournament, Sean Pedulla nailed a three-pointer to seal the Rebels’ victory.
Confidence 🙌@PedullaSean x #HottyToddy https://t.co/1ESdq2PpJs pic.twitter.com/IoiDCXJ8wG
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) March 22, 2025
Pedulla led Ole Miss with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Dre Davis was phenomenal as well, turning in 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go with eight rebounds. Jaemyn Brakefield was the third Rebel in double figures with 12, adding four assists and three boards.
RJ Davis led North Carolina in scoring with 15 points and Ven-Allen Lubin had 14 points before leaving the game with fouls and just 16 minutes played.
The Rebels move on to the second round at Fiserv Forum, where they’ll take on No. 3 seed Iowa State. The Cyclones eliminated No. 14 seed Lipscomb, 82-55, to advance earlier Friday.
