AJ Storr scored 19 points as Ole Miss raced to a 19-point halftime lead and never trailed in an easy 86-65 victory against UL Monroe on Friday night in Oxford, Miss.
Ilias Kamardine added 15 points, Malik Dia scored 11 and Corey Chest delivered a game-high nine rebounds for the Rebels (2-0), who led by as many as 31 points.
Krystian Lewis scored 17 points, MJ Russell scored 13 points and Renars Sondors chipped in 11 points to lead the Warhawks (0-2), who shot just 37.3% from the floor.
The Rebels scored 24 points off 15 Warhawks turnovers, while UL Monroe scored 17
points off 13 Ole Miss turnovers.
Ole Miss’ bench had a 37-13 scoring advantage as UL Monroe played a total of just 10 players. The Rebels saw 11 different players score points.
Kamardine made a 3-pointer to start the second-half scoring. When and Dia added his own 3-pointer with 13:07 remaining after a UL Monroe turnover, it put Ole Miss in command with a 64-35 lead.
Sondors made a 3-pointer and UL Monroe crept within 22 points at 75-53 with more than four minutes remaining. The Warhawks were outscored just 39-37 in the second half.
Storr scored the first five points of the game and the Rebels took a 7-0 lead. Alex Molofeev made a 3-pointer for the Warhawks’ first points and he made another 3-pointer to get UL Monroe within 14-12.
Kamardine scored seven straight points during a 12-0 run that gave Ole Miss a 26-12 lead. A 3-pointer by Micah Carter and two free throws by Lewis pulled the Warhawks within nine before the Rebels went on another run.
Eduardo Klafke and Kezza Giffa made 3-pointers during an 8-0 run that gave Ole Miss a 17-point lead. Molofeev made one of two free throws
Kamardine made a 3-pointer to create the biggest lead of the half at 22 points, before Lewis made a 3-pointer to leave the Rebels with 47-28 halftime lead.
