Ole Miss hopes for quicker start against Detroit Mercy

Ole Miss has started the season with consecutive victories at home.

Detroit Mercy has started the season with consecutive losses on the road.

The Rebels will try to continue their trend and the Titans will try to end theirs when the teams meet Tuesday night in Oxford, Miss.

Ole Miss (2-0) didn't get breathing room until late in victories against Alabama State, 69-59 on Nov. 6, and Eastern Washington, 75-64 on Friday.

"We've had back-to-back games where we just found ourselves in tough games," Rebels coach Chris Beard said. "So I hope this pays dividends as the season goes forward."

Allen Flanigan, who had a double-double in the opener, scored a career-high 29 points, including eight of the Rebels' last 13 points, against Eastern Washington. He led the late surge after the Eagles took a one-point lead midway through the second half.

"We're kind of a work in progress," Beard said. "I think we do have some poise. From a coaching standpoint, you'd like to come out and maybe get you a game that's kind of easier."

Detroit Mercy began the season with a 94-60 loss at Toledo on Nov. 6, then fell 93-61 at Cincinnati on Friday.

The Titans are led by Jayden Stone in scoring (20.0 points per game) and rebounding (5.5). He put up a career-high 25 points against the Bearcats. Edoardo Del Cadia, a graduate transfer who played at Nicholls and UNLV, is averaging 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds.

However, Detroit Mercy coach Mike Davis lamented a lack of conditioning from many of his other players.

"Edoardo is a hard-nosed guy and Jayden is really, really hard-nosed," Davis said on the Titans' postgame radio broadcast after the Cincinnati game. "We've got to get other guys to buy in, too.

"We've got to get in shape. I told our guys that all preseason we had guys that want to take off until the games get here. Right now we're spending a lot of time in practice on conditioning."

—Field Level Media