Antonio Reeves scored 18 of his season-high 27 points in the second half and Kentucky pulled away to win its fifth consecutive Southeastern Conference game by defeating Ole Miss 75-66 on Tuesday night in Oxford, Miss.
Oscar Tshiebwe added 14 points and 11 rebounds and Jacob Toppin scored 18 for the Wildcats (15-7, 6-3 SEC), who outscored the Rebels (9-13, 1-8), 43-34 in the second half.
Amaree Abram scored 17 points, TJ Caldwell added 12 and Jayveous McKinnis had 10 to lead the Rebels, who lost for the 10th time in 11 games.
Ole Miss played without leading scorer Matthew Murrell, who is sidelined by a knee injury, and fellow guard Daeshun Ruffin, who stepped away from the program after being benched before the Rebels’ loss at Oklahoma State last Saturday.
Kentucky played without starting point guard Cason Wallace because of a knee injury that is not considered serious.
Tshiebwe broke a halftime tie by starting the second-half scoring with a three-point play.
Reeves made two 3-pointers and another jumper as the Wildcats extended the lead to 43-37 five minutes into the half.
Kentucky led by seven points three different times before Toppin and Tshiebwe made consecutive dunks during an 8-0 run that increased the lead to 58-45 with eight minutes remaining.
Abram made consecutive 3-pointers to pull Ole Miss within seven, but Reeves scored five consecutive points and Tshiebwe and Toppin each had a layup that put the Wildcats in command with a 67-53 lead with 4:32 left.
The score was tied four times before McKinnis had two layups during a 7-0 run that gave Ole Miss a 15-8 lead at 14:50 in the first.
Toppin’s jumper started a 10-0 run that gave Kentucky an 18-15 lead.
Caldwell’s dunk produced the Rebels’ first points in nearly four minutes, but the Wildcats twice took a six-point lead.
Another 7-0 run gave Ole Miss a 30-29 lead, however, and the score was tied twice, the second being at 32-all at halftime.
–Field Level Media