After being on the wrong side of history over the weekend, Kentucky finally put an end to its Rupp Arena losing streak.
On a late Tuesday night in Lexington, the No. 22 Wildcats (17-7; 7-4 SEC) had little issue taking care of the Ole Miss Rebels (18-6; 5-6 SEC), winning by a final score of 75-63. It was a must-have win for Kentucky, which had piled up three consecutive losses at Rupp Arena for the first time in the history of the building.
Thanks to an impressive all-around defensive performance, Kentucky held Ole Miss to just 37.5 percent shooting from the floor, including a 5-22 mark from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the ‘Cats shot 51.9 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from deep, and went 13-17 at the free-throw line.
Four different UK players reached double-digits, led by 15 from Antonio Reeves. A trio of freshmen weren’t far behind with Reed Sheppard (13 points), Justin Edwards (12), and Rob Dillingham (10) all reaching the 10-point threshold. Additionally, Ugonna Onyenso tied a single-game Rupp Arena record by blocking 10 shots.
Finally playing with a full roster for the first time all season, Calipari rolled out a starting five of DJ Wagner, Reeves, Edwards, Tre Mitchell, and Onyenso. That combination got rolling early, preventing another slow start out of the gate for the Wildcats. Kentucky jumped out to a quick 9-5 lead at the first media timeout.
However, an immediate 10-0 run from Ole Miss flipped the game in favor of the Rebels. At the halfway point of the opening half, Ole Miss was in front by five, 19-14. The Rebels would remain in front by a couple of possessions over the next few minutes, but once the score reached 23-18 Ole Miss, the Wildcats took full control.
From there, Kentucky closed the half on a 25-6 run. UK was scoring in every way possible: three-pointers, floaters, layups, at the charity stripe, second-chance opportunities — you name it. A made free-throw from Wagner pushed Kentucky ahead by double-digits for the first time with roughly 90 seconds until the break. It was eventually extended to a 14-point edge at the intermission.
At the half, Edwards and Reeves paced the ‘Cats with 11 points each while Onyenso was already up to seven rejections. Kentucky shot over 55 percent from the floor while holding Ole Miss to just 35.5 percent shooting. It was arguably the best defensive performance in a half for UK against an SEC team all season.
Ole Miss would make it a game to start the second half, trimming the Kentucky lead down to just six before Dillingham responded with a three-pointer on the other end. A solo 5-0 run from Sheppard soon after made it a comfortable advantage once again for the ‘Cats. Unfortunately, Mitchell suffered a left shoulder injury early into the half that forced him to the locker room and did not allow him to return.
But Kentucky didn’t need him to fend off any potential Ole Miss comeback. Another big triple from Dillingham made it a 17-point lead — the highest of the night — for the home team with just under 10 minutes to go. The Wildcats would cruise from there, never letting Ole Miss get it to within single digits down the stretch before settling on the 12-point victory.hhjhj
Up next: Kentucky will head to Auburn to take on the No. 13 Tigers (19-5; 8-3 SEC) where College Gameday will set up shop for the weekend showdown. Tipoff is set for Saturday, Feb. 17 at 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.
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