Ole Miss builds huge lead, then fends off North Carolina

Field Level Media|published: Fri 21st March, 18:58 2025

Mar 21, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elliot Cadeau (3) drives against Mississippi Rebels guard Eduardo Klafke (8) during the first half of a first round NCAA men’s tournament game at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

MILWAUKEE -- Sean Pedulla had 20 points and Dre Davis added 15 as sixth-seeded Ole Miss staved off 11th-seeded North Carolina's second-half rally for a 71-64 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's South Region on Friday.

Ole Miss (23-11) advanced to the second round Sunday against third-seeded Iowa State (25-9), which rolled past 14th-seeded Lipscomb 82-55 in the first game.

North Carolina, which trailed by 22 early in the second half, closed within 66-64 on RJ Davis' three-point play with 1:09 left. Pedulla countered with a 3-pointer from the top left to make it 69-64.

The Tar Heels missed a 3-pointer on their next possession and Pedulla hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to 71-64 with 34.3 seconds left. North Carolina missed its final six shots.

Davis had 15 points and Ven-Allen Lubin 14 for the Tar Heels (23-14), who shot 38.1 percent from the field and made just 5 of 24 attempts from 3-point range (20.8 percent).

The Tar Heels got back in it with an 11-0 run, pulling within 63-59 with just over five minutes on a thunderous dunk by Jalen Washington with just over five minutes left.

North Carolina missed layups on its next three possessions before Pedulla scored on a drive to put Ole Miss up 65-59 with 2:56 remaining.

Ole Miss led 44-26 at the half and stretched it to 50-28 on a jumper from the paint by Jaemyn Brakefield with 17:48 left.

The Tar Heels cut the lead to 56-43 on a turning one-hander from the lane by Washington, but Pedulla answered with a three-point play at the other end.

Ole Miss hit 11 of its first 14 shots, including six of seven beyond the arc, for a double-digit lead midway through the first half. Davis' jumper from the paint put The Rebels up 29-14 with just over nine minutes remaining.

The Rebels hit just one of their final nine shots of the half, but still shot 51.9 percent, including 7 of 13 from deep (53.8 percent). Ole Miss had 10 assists on its 14 first-half field goals.

--Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media

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