Harrison key player for Rebels
By By Ryan Satcher/staff writer
Jan. 13, 2002
OXFORD In a sport that is often dominated by the tall, 5-foot-5 senior point guard Jason Harrison always seems to find a way to make the clutch plays for his Rebels.
Saturday was no exception as Harrison came up with the big plays Ole Miss needed in its 66-59 SEC victory over Mississippi State.
Harrison was certainly the spark Ole Miss needed in the first minutes of the second half. After hitting the only three-pointer of the first half for the Rebels, he came out and hit a three just 30 seconds into the second half to get the important momentum swing that Ole Miss needed.
Harrison wasn't finished, however. He continued to make the plays few people notice. He got two assists later in the second half on two big three-pointers for the Rebels.
The Little Rock, Ark., native finished the night with three assists, giving him 377 for his career, just one away from tying Henry Jackson for third place all-time at Ole Miss.
He also continued to do a good job of running the offense for the Rebels. Harrison ended the game with only one turnover after facing pressure from the State defense all day.
Harrison's plays didn't stop there as he added big plays in the final minutes for the Rebels. The first came with 1:11 left in the game. State had the ball down by six points when Harrison slid on the floor for the loose ball. He quickly called for a timeout and his hustle gave Ole Miss the ball with a great chance to expand on a late lead.
Just 20 seconds later Harrison, by far the shortest man on the court, went inside with the big men and came out with a huge rebound.
Harrison, who led the SEC with a 90.4 free throw percentage coming into the game, made four-of-six free throws late in the game to ice it for the Rebels.
No, Harrison didn't score 20 points to lead the Rebels, but his 11 points combined with the clutch plays made the difference. As the only senior on the Ole Miss squad, he always seems to show up to give the Rebels a spark when they need it most.
