Chris Beard and the No. 6 seeded Ole Miss Rebels took down the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday evening in a critical 71-64 NCAA Tournament victory. Sam Pedulla's clutch gene was on full display in the final minute after knocking down a much-needed basket down the stretch to propel the Rebels over the Tar Heels to capture a First Round NCAA Tournament win.

On Friday, Chris Beard’s Rebels used a 22-point lead and held on late to beat the Tar Heels 71-64, giving Ole Miss its first Round of 64 win since 2013. It was also Beard’s first tournament appearance and win as the Rebels head coach and Ole Miss’ first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.