OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Matthew Murrell scored 24 points and No. 25 Mississippi dominated the first half to beat No. 14 Kentucky 98-84 on Tuesday night.

Murrell made six 3-pointers, four in the first half, as Ole Miss (17-6, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) never trailed and used runs of 10-0 and 15-3 to race to a 54-31 halftime lead.

Dre Davis scored 17 points, Malik Dia added 16 points and Jaylen Murray had 15 points and a season-high 10 assists for the Rebels. Jaeymn Brakefield had 10 first-half points as the Rebels finished the night shooting 54.7%.

Amari Williams had a triple-double for Kentucky (15-7, 4-5) with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Otega Oweh led the Wildcats with 24 points, 19 in the second half, and Jaxson Robinson scored 18 points.

Kentucky shot 50% from the field overall but just 38.7% (12 of 31) in the first half.

Murrell scores 24, No. 25 Mississippi uses early surge to beat No. 14 Kentucky 98-84 | iNFOnews.ca — Mississippi guard Sean Pedulla (3) celebrates during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kentucky in Oxford, Miss., Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruce Newman)

Takeaways

Kentucky: First-year coach Mark Pope’s Wildcats have lost four of five. The schedule appears favorable with three of the next four games at home. Injured point guard Lamont Butler missed his third consecutive game.

Ole Miss: After a handful of close SEC losses, the Rebels snapped back with an inspired defensive effort and timely perimeter shooting. Ole Miss, 6-4 in road games or at neutral sites, plays four of its next five games on the road. The Rebels finished with a season-low one turnover.

Key moment

Murrell made three 3-pointers during the 15-3 run that closed the first half.

Key stats

The Rebels, averaging eight 3-pointers per game, had nine in the first half and finished 13 of 30. Ole Miss outscored Kentucky 9-0 off turnovers, winning the turnover margin 8-1.

Up next

Both teams play Saturday. Kentucky hosts South Carolina while Ole Miss visits LSU.