Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Rebs Make It Three In A Row

(UMAA)OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Terrico White scored 19 points and sparked a decisive first half run Wednesday as Ole Miss defeated Auburn 78-59.
Ole Miss (13-9, 4-4) extended its winning streak to a season-best three games and moved into third place in the SEC Western Division. White, who added a career-high eight rebounds and a pair of assists, paced a balanced attack that put five Rebels in double figures.
“This team knows that if they want to be relevant, they've got to earn your way,” Mississippi coach Andy Kennedy said. “Slowly we're doing that. We had a lot of guys step up tonight.”
David Huertas scored 16 points, Zach Graham had 11 while Terrance Henry and Malcolm White added 10 apiece. The Rebels used a 21-5 first half run, highlighted by a pair of Terrico White dunks, to build an insurmountable 46-28 halftime lead.
Auburn (13-9, 2-4), led by Korvotney Barber with 17 points and 13 rebounds, never seriously threatened again. The Tigers could not get any closer than 13 points and the Rebels led by as many as 22 points in the final seven minutes.
DeWayne Reed and Frankie Sullivan added 14 and 12 points, respectively for the Tigers, who were outrebounded 42-36. Forced to shoot from the perimeter in a comeback effort, Auburn managed only 6-of-27, 22 percent, from three-point range.
Ole Miss was 27-of-63 from the field, 43 percent, but had only eight turnovers. The Rebels were 10-of-28, 36 percent, from the three-point line. Terrico White, Graham and Huertas had three long range shots apiece to showcase the offensive balance.
The Rebels, who lost a pair of starters and a top reserve to season-ending knee injuries in the first half of the season, have joined LSU as the hottest teams in the conference with three-game winning streaks. The victory margin was the largest in an SEC game during Kennedy's three seasons.
“We're playing with a little momentum and the wins energize you,” Kennedy said. “It's great, but it's part of the process. Every day is a new day when you have so many young players.”