THE UPSETS continued in the NCAAM on Wednesday, as the Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Kentucky Wildcats to the tune of 14 points at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion in an emphatic performance from the victors.

The 25th seeded Rebels played host to the Wildcats, and would need to deliver a standout defensive performance given the amount of weapons on Kentucky’s roster. Ole Miss did have one more win next to their name with a record of 16-6, and had displayed zippy ball movement in recent games, which would have worried the Wildcats.

The first half was all one-way traffic, with the Rebels completely outperforming and taking away Kentucky’s offensive weapons. Although the Wildcats looked to contain the hosts on the defensive end, Ole Miss continued to make extra passes to ensure they got the best look possible, nailing wide-open shots and pushing the ball inside to their big men.

Despite an improved performance from Kentucky in the second half, it was too little, too late as the Rebels delivered one of their best wins of the 2024/25 NCAAM season, heading toward March with some wind in their sail.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be casting an eye over how the key players performed in the match, as some of the NCAAM’s best and brightest display their craft on a nightly basis.

Ole Miss Rebels (98) def. Kentucky Wildcats (84)

Ole Miss:

#5 Jaylen Murray

It was a productive outing from the Rebels point guard, with Murray delivering a tremendously tidy performance with ball in hand and helping set up the Rebels’ offence. He showed excellent vision in both halfcourt sets and transition, typically making passes before Kentucky’s defence could rotate and cover the open player. A game-high 10 assists with zero turnovers was reflective of how masterful he proved in conducting Ole Miss’ offence. Murray also got involved on the scoring front, nailing five of his seven attempts to finish the game with 15 points, rounding out one of his best performances of the season.

#11 Matthew Murrell

Murrell was the standout player for the Rebels in the win, making his mark from behind the arc in a sizzling shooting performance. He led the way for Ole Miss on the scoring front with an equal game-high 24 points, a total that was largely boosted by his six triples. He was the beneficiary of the Rebels’ rapid ball movement, with his direct opponent often rotating and leaving the senior guard wide open, where he punished Kentucky accordingly. It was a blistering long-range performance from Murrell, who produced one of the best scoring performances of his career.

Kentucky:

#00 Otega Oweh

A tireless performance from the junior guard, Oweh was Kentucky’s leading scorer with 24 points on 8/17 shooting from the field and a perfect 6/6 shooting from the charity stripe. He provided a spark in the second half, looking much more aggressive and finding the bottom of the net at a much more consistent rate. The Newark native looked to attack with the ball and get to his spots, a reliable source of scoring for the Wildcats with his 15.6 points per game average. Kentucky was kept in the game courtesy of Oweh’s scoring in the second half, and he can hold his head high.

#22 Amari Williams

Williams became the fourth player in Wildcats history to record a triple-double, working hard to do a bit of everything in the loss to the Rebels. The center is enjoying a tremendous senior season with Kentucky, and delivered a memorable performance despite the final result. Typically a reliable scorer and rebounder, Williams added some playmaking to his repertoire with a season-high 10 assists, while also proving efficient on the scoring side of things with 5/7 shooting from the field. Williams finished the contest with 15 points, 11 rebounds (all defensive) and 10 assists in a further demonstration of his talents ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.