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Ole Miss sends Oklahoma to crucial loss with clutch shot from Sean Pedulla
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Ole Miss and Oklahoma met on Saturday in a crucial game for the Sooners. It resulted in a dramatic game that came down to the wire after Ole Miss nearly ran away.
In the 2nd half, the Rebels built a lead of 9 points with just over 8 minutes to play. Oklahoma would respond and even took an 84-82 lead with 31 seconds remaining in the game.
That response gave the Sooners some major life, especially for a team that entered the weekend as a team squarely on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, Oklahoma did not have an answer for Sean Pedulla.
The Ole Miss star delivered a clutch 3 with 18 seconds remaining that would become the game-winner. Matthew Murrell finished the game off with 2 free throws for the 87-84 win.
Pedulla was the star in this one, leading all players with a game-high 26 points and 5 made 3-pointers for Ole Miss. Dayton Forsythe led Oklahoma with a big-time 25 points off the bench.
So, where does that outcome leave the Sooners? ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had OU in his “Last Four In” section entering Saturday’s game, and the loss puts the Sooners in a precarious position.
Oklahoma has 2 more games before we reach the SEC Tournament: vs. No. 14 Mizzou during the week and a season finale next weekend at Texas. Both games provide varying degrees of potential for the Sooners.
A major Quad 1 win against the Tigers would go a long way on Selection Sunday, while the Longhorns were the “Last Team In” on Lunardi’s projections entering this weekend. It’s entirely possible that season finale between rivals will be essentially a play-in game for the final field.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
