OXFORD | Malik Dia had the ball just off the top of the key, and as he set and gathered, Kentucky defenders didn’t close and gave him plenty of room to aim and fire.

Dia’s shot centered the net, pushing Ole Miss’ lead to the largest of the night to that point. He jogged back down the floor and lightly shrugged toward Matthew Murrell. It was the first possession of the second half and a continuation of a near-perfect first half.

The No. 25 Rebels had shot No. 14 Kentucky out of the Pavilion and got enough cushion to coast to the 98-84 win over the Wildcats on Wednesday. Their record moves to 17-6 and 6-4 in the SEC.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever enjoyed watching a team play more than I did tonight, especially in that first half,” Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said.

It’s the most points the Rebels have scored against UK in series history. The previous high was 95 in a loss in 1971.

Ole Miss led by 23 at the break thanks to nine 3s and no turnovers. The Rebels averaged 8.8 3-pointers a game entering the night but hit 13 this evening.

Kentucky (15-7, 4-5) is 341st nationally in creating turnovers and lived up to that subpar billing. The Wildcats didn’t close on shooters, lost Ole Miss guards in the paint and struggled to convert into transition open looks – their best offensive weapon.

Ole Miss’ first and only turnover came at the 14:45 mark of the second half. The largest lead was 27, which came two minutes into the second half following a Murrell dunk. UM had 24 assists against that lone turnover. Ole Miss is No. 3 nationally in fewest turnovers per possession.

Beard said the only other time he can remember one of his teams with one turnover was while he coached Angelo State.

“Pedulla ruined that for me (to have a perfect turnover night),” Beard quipped.

The Rebels shot 50 percent from behind the arc and 61 percent from the field in the first half. Kentucky trailed throughout the game after Sean Pedulla’s free throws 16 seconds into the action.

Murrell led Ole Miss with a season-high 24 and had 19 points in his first 22 minutes. Dre Davis added 17, Dia had 10, and Jaylen Murray finished with 15 points and 10 boards.

Murrell was questionable for the third game in a row but has started each of those despite a lingering lower body injury.

"It’s like finally getting your head above water and keep building on it," Murrell said. "I’m in the training room and trying to get as well as I can. Trying to keep it under control."

The Rebels entered No. 23 in the NET and are now 6-6 in quad one games with the win over NET No. 19 Kentucky. Ole Miss is at LSU and at South Carolina the next two games before a home date with Mississippi State. Currently, LSU is a quad one game, and Carolina and MSU are quad two contests.

Kentucky had won 14 of the last 15 in the series including six of the last seven in Oxford.

The Wildcats used a 12-3 extended run and an 8-0 mini run to cut it to 11 with just more than seven minutes left. Murray knocked down a triple as the shot clock ticked to zero and followed it up with a defensive stop and two free throws after a Kentucky foul as he drove to the basket.

Murray’s jumper with 4:20 left pushed the lead back to 14.

“We have veterans and leaders, and we closed it out,” Murray said.

Kentucky shot 63 percent in the second half and 46 percent from three-point range. UK was 50 percent and 48 percent, respectively, for the game.

Ole Miss finished at 54 percent overall and 43 percent from deep. Free throws were even with UK at 16-22 and the Rebels at 15-21.

Kentucky out-rebounded Ole Miss 37-29, but the Rebels gave up only six offensive rebounds. The Rebels lost points in the paint, 38-30 but won points off turnovers, 9-0.

Amari Williams had a triple double for the Wildcats – 12 points, 11 boards and 10 assists.

“This is Kentucky; we don’t do moral victories at all,” head coach Mark Pope said. “We’ll try to build on what we do well.”