OXFORD, Miss. (Interstat) — A dominant first-half performance propelled the Mississippi Rebels to a decisive 86-65 victory over the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in a non-conference men’s basketball game Friday night before a crowd of 8,212 at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.

The Rebels, improving to 2-0, seized control early with a blistering offensive display, building a 47-28 lead by halftime. Mississippi shot efficiently from the floor in the opening period, connecting on 15 of 33 attempts from three-point range for the game. The Rebels’ offensive rating of 111.4 points per 100 possessions starkly contrasted with the Warhawks’ mark of 83.3, highlighting the disparity in execution.

Ilias Kamardine, a guard from Marseille, France, orchestrated the Mississippi offense with a game-high seven assists to go with his 15 points. Forward AJ Storr led all scorers with 19 points in just 22 minutes of action. The Rebels’ frontcourt also made significant contributions, with Corey Chest of New Orleans pulling down nine rebounds and blocking two shots, and Malik Dia of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, adding 11 points and four rebounds.

Louisiana-Monroe, which fell to 0-2, was led by Krystian Lewis. The Monroe, Louisiana, native scored 17 points and added three rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes. MJ Russell from Coker, Alabama, contributed 15 points and four rebounds, while Renars Sondors of Riga, Latvia, chipped in 11 points.

The Warhawks struggled to find consistent offense, shooting 22 for 59 from the field and committing 14 turnovers. They were also hampered on the glass, securing only three offensive rebounds compared to eight for the Rebels. Mississippi’s defense was active throughout, tallying nine steals and six blocks.

Mississippi never trailed, opening the game on a 12-2 run and maintaining a double-digit advantage for the entirety of the second half. The Rebels’ lead ballooned to as many as 24 points after halftime as they comfortably saw out the victory.

The win extends Mississippi’s strong start to the season following a 30-point opening victory over Southeastern Louisiana. Louisiana-Monroe, which lost its opener at Northern Illinois, will look for its first win when it travels to face Houston Christian on Nov. 13. Mississippi’s next test is a home contest against Memphis on Nov. 11.