OXFORD -- A new season for Ole Miss men's basketball began on Monday night as the Rebels took on the Sharks of LIU and cruised to a 90-60 win at the SJB Pavilion.

Jaylen Murray led the way with 24 points, going 5-of-8 from the three-point line and 7-of-10 from the field. Jaemyn Brakefield added 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds, and Matthew Murrell added 11 points. Highly-touted Belmont transfer Malik Dia posted seven points alongside five rebounds, starting off his Rebel career in the right direction.

As a team, Ole Miss shot 49 percent from the field and 41 percent from three compared to percentages of 34 and 33 from Long Island, respectively.

This win serves as a great opener for the Rebels. Despite sloppy play in the first half, Ole Miss turned things around completely in the second, never letting the Sharks get within 12 points. The buzz surrounding the team was well worth it, at least in the season opener.

After a dominating win against Illinois in an exhibition game back on Oct. 27, it seemed that the hype around the Rebels was well-warranted. The ability to clean up the mistakes from the first half proved vital and showed the depth the team has, with 12 out of 13 players that entered the game scoring on Monday night.

A win like this was expected by the fanbase and media, and the Rebels certianly delivered. This win will go a long ways in terms of blostering confidnce in the team as the non-conference schedule picks up in the next few weeks.

The Rebels are back in action on Friday against Grambling State. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CT and will be televised on SEC Network.