LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky head coach John Calipari stared at the final stat sheet following the Wildcats' 67-62 win over Ole Miss on Saturday at Rupp Arena and pondered how it happened.
"This was like a rock fight," the UK boss said. "Ended up being a great win."
Kentucky (20-5, 10-2 SEC) remained atop the league standings alongside Auburn by overcoming one of its worst shooting performances of the season. The No. 12 Cats shot 39% from the field (23 of 59) against an aggressive, trapping Ole Miss zone, and went 2-for-22 from the 3-point arc.
"We hear all the stories about a bad shooting night in the tournament and you lose a game," said UK sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley. "Just knowing that we can still win games when we aren't shooting, you know our defense can come through for us, and that's what it's about."
"We just have a winning mentality," added UK junior center Nick Richards. "A will to win, as coach would say."
Kentucky compensated by holding a recently red-hot Ole Miss offense to just 40% shooting from the field (24 of 60). Rebels star guard Breein Tyree, who had scored 38, 23, and 40 points in his last three games, was held to a modest 19 on 6-of-16 shooting.
The Cats also leaned on their most consistent ability this season -- free-throw shooting -- to seal the victory. In a game that featured nine lead changes in the final five minutes, UK made 13 consecutive free throws to close out the game. Eight of those came in the final 2:11.
Meanwhile, Tyree missed the front end of two bonus situations for Ole Miss in the last minute of play.
"That was the difference. They shot 24 and we shot 11. They got to the line and we didn't," Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis said. "... Give credit, they attacked the paint and got to the line, and they are a very good free-throw shooting team."
Ole Miss (13-12, 4-8 SEC) saw its three-game win streak snapped.
Quickley led Kentucky with 17 points. Richards followed with 16, while freshman guard Tyrese Maxey added 14.
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In this Cats Illustrated "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory…
THE GOOD:
The Wildcats made a lot of hustle plays which may have made the difference tonight. One of the biggest was E.J. Montgomery going to the court (and likely receiving some floor burns) to secure an offensive rebound with 1:34 remaining. He somehow managed to kick the ball out to Tyrese Maxey, who drove into the lane for a bucket that gave UK a one-point lead.
THE BAD:
Kentucky point guard Ashton Hagans had a rough outing in what seems to be bordering on a trend late in the season. He was 3-for-11 from the field, committed four of the Cats' 11 turnovers, and fouled out on a really questionable decision to gamble for a steal with UK clinging to a one-point lead with 57 seconds remaining.
THE UGLY:
The Cats' 3-point shooting was horrific, magnified by the fact that most of them were good looks. Ole Miss coaxed them into taking way too many shots from the arc.
GAME BALL:
Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky -- The sophomore guard stepped up big down the stretch as teammate Ashton Hagans was struggling with both shooting and foul problems. Quickley scored 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second half to carry the UK offense.
BY THE NUMBERS:
9% - Kentucky's 3-point field goal percentage, making just 2 of 22.
11 - Straight wins for UK over Ole Miss.
14 - Consecutive games in double figures for UK's Immanuel Quickley. The last Cat to score double figures in 15 straight was Malik Monk during the 2016-17 season.
19-1 - Kentucky's record when Nick Richards scores in double figures.
26 - Consecutive 20-win seasons for UK coach John Calipari, the longest active streak for any head coach in the nation.
41-33 - UK advantage on the glass, led by Richards with seven rebounds.
55-2 - Kentucky's record against Ole Miss in games played in Lexington.
20.417 - Attendance at Rupp Arena.
QUOTABLE:
"There were a lot of disappointed guys in the locker room. Zero, zero, zero morale victories for Ole Miss." -- Rebels coach Kermit Davis on coming close to claiming what would have been only the third Ole Miss victory ever in Lexington.
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday night at LSU. The Tigers (18-7, 9-3 SEC) lost today at Alabama, their third loss in four games after leading the league at 8-0. Tipoff is slated for 9 ET on ESPN.
