Henderson's 22 points lifts Mississippi over Mississippi Valley State 93-57
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Marshall Henderson scored 22 points as Mississippi placed four players in double figures Friday night to defeat Mississippi Valley State 93-57 in the season opener for both teams.
Murphy Holloway scored 15 points with a game-high 11 rebounds while Reginald Buckner added 10 for the Rebels (1-0), who improved to 36-0 all-time against Southwestern Conference Athletic teams.
Mississippi Valley State (0-1) was led by Davon Usher with 19 points and six assists. The Delta Devils struggled from the field, managing only 32.2 percent (19 of 59), including 10 consecutive misses from three-point range in the first half.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ole Miss shot 39.7 percent (31 of 79) from the field, but had a decisive edge from the free throw line, hitting 64 percent (25 of 39). The Rebels outrebounded Mississippi Valley State 53-44 and forced 23 turnovers.
Mississippi Valley State led early 5-1 and was within 18-14 midway through the first half. The Delta Devils managed only two field goals in the final nine minutes of the half.
The Rebels pulled away, building a 44-21 halftime lead, as Henderson capped a 13-point first half with a long range 3-point shot at the buzzer. The Rebels converted 13 of 16 first half free throws and forced 13 turnovers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ole Miss was never threatened in the second half, consistently managing a 30-point lead. Henderson had a stretch of three consecutive three-point shots within 75 seconds to highlight the blowout.
Mississippi Valley State, despite shooting 42 percent in the second half, 13 of 31, never pulled closer than 25 points in the final 15 minutes. Matt Smith had a team-high 11 rebounds for the Delta Devils.
Ole Miss has won nine consecutive season openers, including 16 of the past 17 home openers. The Rebels improved to 5-0 in the season series with Mississippi Valley State.