Daeshun Ruffin energizes Ole Miss again basketball in close win over Temple
OXFORD — It was all too slow, lethargic and languid until Ole Miss basketball's 5-foot-9 bundle of instant electricity plugged into the action Saturday night in a game against Temple at The SJB Pavilion.
First, Daeshun Ruffin connected on a 3-point shot, and then he finished over a towering defender at the rim. To complete the sequence, Ruffin tossed a pinpoint lob to Matthew Murrell for an alley-oop, knotting a game Ole Miss had mostly trailed midway through the second half. The Rebels (8-3) rode the juice Ruffin provided to a 63-55 win over Temple (6-6).
Another landmark on Ruffin's comeback trail
After a knee injury ended his freshman season prematurely, Ruffin didn't make his 2022-23 debut until a road loss to Memphis on Dec. 3.
He tallied 14 points in an obliteration of Valparaiso two games ago, but this was without a doubt the best performance Ruffin has managed since his return.
He provided an incisive edge in the lane – particularly in the second half – and a threat from 3-point range on a night that saw the Rebels get off to a difficult start from beyond the arc.
Ruffin was a provider and an efficient scorer, finishing with 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting and four assists in 26 minutes. The Rebels don't escape a damaging defeat in this game without his influence.
"We really tried to space a little bit different for Daeshun," Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis said. "I thought he just made some really good reads. He made shots from the perimeter. That's what he can do.
"When Daeshun gets totally healthy, that's a really good SEC backcourt."
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Ole Miss defense remains stingy
As much as Ole Miss' difficulties on the offensive end of the court provided a reason for concern, the way the Rebels defended to negate those issues offered a reason for optimism.
Ole Miss disrupted passing lanes. It limited open looks, and it capitalized on some poor shooting from the Owls.
Crucially, star Temple guard Khalif Battles was held to 4-for-17 on the night. Ole Miss' Matthew Murrell had demanded that matchup, knowing it could help decide the game.
"If you stop him, you stop his energy and you stop the rest of the team," Murrell said.
The 55 points the Owls managed in this game marked their second-lowest mark of the season. The Rebels needed their defense to deliver, and it did.
First-half offense flounders again
It wasn't an eight-minute scoreless streak to open the game like what Ole Miss endured Wednesday against UCF, but it wasn't good either.
Ole Miss managed only 24 points in the first half against the Owls, again suffering through a scoring drought of over five minutes. It's the continuation of a troubling trend for the Rebels, who can't seem to engage their offense in the first 20 minutes of action against decent opposition.
The Rebels struggled to create good looks, shooting 7-for-26 from the field in the first half and connecting on only a pair of their 13 3-point attempts in the first half.
They hurt themselves, too, giving the ball away nine times.
Up Next
Ole Miss will have one final tune-up before the onset of SEC play when it welcomes North Alabama (6-5) on Tuesday (2 p.m., SEC Network+). The Lions most recently fell 84-60 to Colorado.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Daeshun Ruffin energizes Ole Miss basketball in close win over Temple
