MILWAUKEE — Ole Miss probably can’t afford another late letdown when the sixth-seeded Rebels face third-seeded Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament’s South Region on Sunday evening.
Ole Miss (23-11) staved off a furious rally by 11th-seeded North Carolina — which cut a 22-point deficit to two points with just over a minute to go — and held on for a 71-64 first-round victory Friday.
Iowa State (25-9) gained control midway through the first half against 14th-seeded Lipscomb and rolled to an 82-55 victory in the first round Friday.
“I know this — one of the best teams in college basketball, period,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said of Iowa State. “Defensive identity, really good coach, and a lot of talented players that we’ve been following for years.”
Iowa State shot 58.3 percent from the field against Lipscomb, hitting 35 of 60 shots, and dominated inside with a 50-20 advantage in points in the paint. The Cyclones also had a 35-23 rebounding edge.
Sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic, who led nearby Pewaukee (Wis.) High School to three consecutive state championships, had 20 points, hitting 4 of 8 attempts from 3-point range.
The Cyclones are without starting guard Keshon Gilbert, their second-leading scorer (13.4 points per game), who was declared out for the entire tournament with a groin injury.
Curtis Jones, who had 17 points vs. Lipscomb, averages a team-high 17.1 ppg. Joshua Jefferson adds 12.9 ppg and a team-high 7.4 rebounds. Momcilovic averages 11.7 ppg and Tamin Lipsey 10.8.
Iowa State trailed 16-15 against Lipscomb, then went on a 14-0 run to take control.
“That was extremely important because when you’re playing on this stage against a really good team, when they get confidence, they continue to build confidence,” said Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger. “And Milan did a terrific job, and his teammates did a terrific job during that stretch, making sure we got back out in front.”
Iowa State has advanced to the Sweet 16 seven times since 1986, including last season. The Cyclones are 7-6 all-time in the second round.
Ole Miss played almost a perfect first half against North Carolina en route to a 44-26 lead at the break. The Rebels stretched the lead to 50-28 but saw the Tar Heels pull to 66-64. Sean Pedulla then hit a 3-pointer and added a pair of free throws with 34 seconds left to preserve the victory.
Pedulla finished with a game-high 20 points and Dre Davis added 15.
Pedulla leads a balanced attack with an average of 15.0 points per game along with a team-high 123 assists. Jaemyn Brakefield adds 10.9 ppg, while Malik Dia, Davis, Jaylen Murray and Matthew Murrell each average 10.5.
Ole Miss, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019, last advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2001.
“This will be a real Round of 32 game,” Beard said. “These are two teams that, you know, are worthy to get in the second weekend. We’ll have to play our best 40 minutes. We’ll have to play better than we did today for 40 minutes to be successful on Sunday.”
–Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media
