Ole Miss was unable to run with No. 5 Florida on Saturday night. The Rebels were bested by the Gators 90-71 at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in their last regular season game of the year.

Sean Pedulla led Ole Miss with 22 points. Jaylen Murray followed with 12.

Pedulla and Matthew Murrell each hit a 3-pointer to cut Florida’s lead to 40-37 less than a minute into the second half. Walter Clayton then hit a layup and followed it up with a three. The buckets ignited a 14-0 run that put the Gators (27-4, 14-4 SEC) ahead 54-37 with 15:45 to go.

Clayton continued to be hot from deep. The senior made a trio of threes in the second half and shot 5 of 11 for the day. He led the Gators with 23 points.

Florida shot 31 of 63 (49%) from the field, while Ole Miss shot 22 of 66 (33%). The Gators out-rebounded the Rebels 48-36. 

The teams were locked in a tie through the first under 16 media timeout, but a three by Will Richard and a mid-range jumper by Clayton put the Gators up by five with 13:56 left in the first half.

Ole Miss (21-10, 10-8) made it a one-point game with 6:39 to go. The Gators responded with a 10-3 run to make it 29-21. Clayton hit a pair of treys and Alijah Martin had one of his own as Florida took a 38-31 lead at halftime.

The Rebels shot 12 of 39 (31%) from the field in the first half, the worst mark by the Rebels in a first half all season.

Ole Miss will face either South Carolina or Arkansas on Thursday in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. Tip-off is scheduled for noon on the SEC Network.