OXFORD — Matthew Murrell scored 20 points Monday night, helping Ole Miss stave off an upset bid from Alcorn State.

The Rebels pulled away from the Braves midway through the second half en route to a 73-58 win in the season opener for both teams.

Ole Miss led by just three points, 37-34, when the Rebels went on an 18-9 run to take a 12-point lead with 7:53 left.

"We knew it was going to be this kind of game," Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis said. "I watched their game against Texas A&M in the NIT and it was tied at the half. A&M had to do everything in their power to win, just like this one. I knew exactly what kind of game we were going to have tonight."

Ole Miss struggled to put away Alcorn State, in large part due to poor shooting and an inability to control the Braves on the glass.

Enter Murrell, who got red-hot from behind the 3-point line. The junior from Memphis made shots coming off screens, as a trailer in the open court and in one-on-one situations.

Murrell was 7-of-18 from the floor but 5-of-12 from behind the arc. Murrell added six rebounds and three assists.

"We ran some things for Matt, guys executed and got Matt open," Davis said. "He made some timely shots. I thought we really guarded for a period of time in the second half."

Murrell said the Rebels focused on defense and ball movement at halftime.

"Then the shots started to fall," Murrell said.

Robert Allen, back for his first game after a devastating injury early next season, had 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman guard T.J. Caldwell added 10 points in his Ole Miss debut.

"It's unbelievable," Davis said. "We've talked about his comeback. We had some tearful conversations. ...Just to see him defy the odds and come back like he's done with that kind of effort tonight. ...It's great. You can see how much he means for the culture of our program."

Allen said he was "proud of myself," adding that the mental toll of overcoming the injury was the biggest accomplishment.

"I never doubted myself," Allen said, admitting doctors told him he might never play basketball again. "I was always confident in myself. ...I'm thankful for God that my body allowed me to heal properly and to be here with you guys right now."

Ole Miss out-rebounded Alcorn State, 42-34, and defeated the Braves on second-chance points, 32-15. Alcorn State stayed in the game in the paint, tying the Rebels in that category, 22-22. Ole Miss had 16 turnovers, just one fewer than Alcorn State's 17.

Ole Miss led by just one point, 28-27, at halftime. Ole Miss shot just 31 percent from the floor in the first half, making just nine of 29 shots. The Rebels were 30.8 from the 3-point line.

"I just thought we settled," Davis said. "Lot of jump shots. ...I'm not saying we shot bad. We weren't shooting bad shots from 3. I just didn't think the ball moved. I think we had 49 no-dribble passes. You'd like to have 75-85. ...Alcorn State had a lot to do with that. They were physical."

Byron Joshua led Alcorn State with 15 points. Keondre Montgomery had 14. Dominic Brewton added 12.

Ole Miss returns to action on Friday at 6 p.m. versus FAU.

Notes:

-- With Daeshun Ruffin out with a bone bruise, freshman Amaree Abram started at point guard and played 24 minutes. Abram had seven points and a rebound, committing five turnovers and failing to record an assist. Davis said Ruffin is doubtful for Friday's game.

-- Loyola (Louisiana) transfer Myles Burns drew a start in his Ole Miss debut and recorded nine points and five rebounds.

-- Junior Jaemyn Brakefield started but was completely ineffective Monday. Brakefield had three points and a turnover in 14 inconsequential minutes.

-- Louisiana-Lafayette transfer Theo Akwuba didn't score but recorded nine rebounds in his Ole Miss debut.

— Davis had to call his first timeout of the season with 17:57 left in the first half after Dontrell McQuarter drove easily into the lane to hit a floater and give the Braves a 7-3 lead. Ole Miss’ first bucket, a 3-pointer from Myles Burns, came as the result of a broken possession.

— Caldwell gave Ole Miss a boost, especially on the offensive end of the floor. He was active on the glass and extended the Rebels’ lead to 18-15 around the 8-minute mark of the first half with a dunk on the receiving end of an alley-oop pass to finish a fast break.