Ole Miss takes No. 1 Kentucky to overtime, but falls, 89-86

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Coming into tonight’s game the Ole Miss Rebels (9-5, 0-1) were a 23-point underdog by Vegas betting odds. The Rebels led at halftime, and if it weren’t for a controversial call by the refs of reducing a LaDarius White three-pointer to a two-pointer, Ole Miss may have pulled off the upset. Regardless of the controversial calls or poor time clock management, the Rebels played their hearts out and nearly pulled away with their first win at the Rupp since 1998.

Junior guard Stefan Moody led Ole Miss with 25 points, two rebounds, and one assist. Moody was also flawless from the free throw line (4-4), but lost an opportunity after picking up a three-point foul late in overtime. Moody sat out his free throws due to cramps, and Kentrucky chose M.J. Rhett to attempt Moody’s three shots. Rhett finished the task 1-for-3, and turned out to be a good decision by Kentucky’s head coach John Calipari.

Moody also finished 5-for-7 from behind the arch.

Ole Miss senior guard Jarvis Summers finished right behind Moody with 23 points. Summers was not hot from the 3-point line, but drew in enough fouls to finish 10-for-11 in free throw attempts. The one miss came at a critical moment in overtime. Summers also finished with four assists, and led the team defensively with four steals, and forced six total turnovers.

Senior guard LaDarius White also had an impressive night. Many would even argue that White made a three-point shot (later reversed to two) that should have given Ole Miss the upset over No. 1 ranked Kentucky. White finished with 15 points, and was 3-for-4 from behind the arch. It was White’s three-point consistency that helped the Rebels’ rally in the second half.

In overtime, the Rebels had their chances to steal the win, but failed to execute. With 15.4 seconds on the clock after Trey Lyle’s missed free throws, Ole Miss’ Martavious Newby missed a three-pointer that bounced high and was rebounded by the Wildcats’ Willie Cauley-Stein, keeping the Kentucky Wildcats (14-0, 0-1) unbeaten. Kentucky edged the Rebels in overtime, 89-86. It was Kentucky’s 103rd win over the Rebels out of 116 meetings.

Ole Miss will return to action back at the Tad Pad on Saturday, as they will face the South Carolina Gamecocks (9-3), who are on a seven game win streak and will host the Florida Gators (7-6) tomorrow in their SEC opener. Tip-off time for Saturday’s game against South Carolina is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CST.