Daniel Ortiz scored a game-high 22 points and KJ Johnson made a decisive layup with 15 seconds remaining as visiting North Alabama edged Ole Miss 66-65 on Tuesday afternoon in Oxford, Miss.

Johnson’s basket produced the sixth lead change in the final 2:29. After he gave the Lions (7-5) the lead, Daeshun Ruffin missed a layup with seven seconds left and Johnson grabbed the rebound.

Ortiz was fouled and missed the front end of a one-and-one, but the Rebels (8-4) were unable to get off a shot.

Jacari Lane added 19 points and Johnson finished with 11 for North Alabama.

Matthew Murrell scored 16 points, Ruffin scored 12 and Myles Burns had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Ole Miss.

Jaemyn Brakefield’s layup started the second-half scoring and gave Ole Miss a 38-34 lead.

North Alabama scored the next nine points on three 3-pointers by Ortiz.

The Rebels got within one point three times before Burns’ layup finally pushed them back into the lead at 48-47 midway through the half.

The score was tied at 48, 50 and 54 before Detalian Brown made two free throws to put the Lions back on top.

Murrell made three free throws to give Ole Miss the lead before back-to-back layups by Ortiz and Johnson gave North Alabama a 60-57 lead.

The Rebels regained a one-point lead before Lane’s jumper put the Lions on top 62-61 with two minutes remaining.

Murrell made a jumper with 1:02 left, but Johnson answered with a jumper with 50 seconds left.

Ole Miss scored the first seven points of the game before Lane’s three-point play produced North Alabama’s first points after more than three minutes.

The Rebels opened a 26-16 lead on a layup by Burns that concluded an 8-0 run. Ortiz’s 3-pointer ended a 12-2 run that pulled North Alabama even at 28.

The score was tied again before Ruffin’s 3-pointer helped Ole Miss take a 36-34 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media