UT Martin Skyhawks at Ole Miss Rebels

Burnett helps Ole Miss hold off Tennessee-Martin 86-83

The Rebels defeated UT Martin 86-83 in the season opener for both clubs in a game that featured 53 fouls, 61 free throws, 41 turnovers and two potential game-tying shots by the Skyhawks in the final five seconds.

"The thing that bothers me the most are the turnovers," said Kennedy, whose club accounted for 24, including a pair in the final 10 seconds. "One thing we've been very good at doing in my time here is we haven't turned the ball over. But we were so careless tonight and it's maddening."

Deandre Burnett proved to be the decisive factor with 23 points, including two free throws with 9.5 seconds remaining for the final margin. Terence Davis scored 19 points, Rasheed Brooks had 12 and Cullen Neal added 10 to lead a balanced offensive attack.

"There's no question that he is going to make them," said Kennedy about Burnett, who finished 10 of 10 from the charity stripe. "He's got other areas where he's got to improve, but he makes big shots. This was a good win against a team that's going to win a lot of ballgames."

Matthew Butler led UT Martin (0-1) with 25 points, including three 3-pointers in the final three minutes that wiped out a 76-66 Ole Miss lead. Jacolby Mobley scored 17 points, while Kedar Edwards and Javier Martinez added 11 points apiece.

"I was proud of our effort and how we kept chipping away and fighting in the second half after putting ourselves behind the eight ball," UT Martin coach Anthony Stewart said. "At the end, we got the looks we wanted. No question we played hard."

BIG PICTURE

UT Martin: Despite the loss in Stewart's head coaching debut, the uptempo Skyhawks forced 24 turnovers and led by as many as nine points late in the first half. UT Martin was 12 of 33, 36.4 percent, from 3-point range, including 7 of 14 by Butler.

Ole Miss: The Rebels proved they could win despite a limited performance from veteran forward Sebastian Saiz, who fouled out with 8:29 left. The returning leading scorer and rebounder from last season managed only five points and three rebounds. "No bones about it. He's the anchor of this team and he was a no show tonight," Kennedy said. "I know it was fouls, but I told him and he knows that he can't be a no show."

TURNING POINT

Trailing 42-33, Ole Miss had a 14-0 run that spanned the final two minutes of the first half and the opening three minutes of the second half. Neal's 3-point shot capped the surge, giving the Rebels a 47-42 lead they never surrendered despite the late surge by UT Martin.

UP NEXT

UT Martin: The Skyhawks have a quick turnaround, heading home to play Rio Grande Valley on Sunday.

Ole Miss: The Rebels host Massachusetts of the Atlantic 10 on Monday.

How can I watch UT Martin vs. Ole Miss?

• TV Channel: UT Martin at Ole Miss 2021 College Basketball, week 1, is broadcasted on SECN+.
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