OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Santiago Vescovi scored 22 points and combined with Zakai Zeigler to convert six free throws in the final 1:09, helping No. 7 Tennessee top Mississippi 63-59 on Wednesday in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
Vescovi converted two free throws to make it 63-57 with 19 seconds remaining. Zeigler added 13 points as Tennessee (11-2) rallied from an early 10-point hole and a 34-28 halftime deficit.
Ole Miss (8-5) was led by Jaemyn Brakefield with 18 points, including four 3-pointers in the second half. Amaree Abram added 10 points while Matthew Murrell, averaging 15.6 points per game, was held to five points on 1-for-11 shooting.
Jonas Aidoo had a game-high 13 rebounds as the Vols outrebounded Ole Miss 38-28.
Ole Miss finished 19 of 51 (37%) from the field. It converted only seven baskets in the second half, including four by Brakefield.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: It wasn’t pretty, but winning the SEC road opener was the top priority. The Vols proved capable of grinding it out despite falling behind 31-21 in the opening 15 minutes. The defense and rebounding were the difference in the second half, limiting Ole Miss to 7 of 25 from the field.
Ole Miss: The loss was disappointing, especially after a deflating home loss to North Alabama and an inconsistent December. The defense and Brakefield had quality performances, but the Rebels were not strong enough to overcome an atypical shooting night by Murrell.
UP NEXT
Tennessee: The SEC home opener is a visit from No. 21 Mississippi State on Jan. 3.
Ole Miss: The Rebels begin a two-game road trip at No. 8 Alabama on Jan. 3.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top2