Ole Miss had two amazingly clutch defensive plays in the finals seconds Sunday in Orlando, holding off UCF’s dramatic comeback bid, 70-68.

Allen Flanigan’s block of Jaylin Sanders at the basket following a turnover on an inbounds play preserved the win for the Rebels. It came just seven seconds or so after Moussa Cisse had a huge block of his own to stop what would have been a go-ahead bucket for the Knights.

With the win, Ole Miss improved to 9-0. UCF fell to 6-3.

Ole Miss won just 10 games all of last season.

Flanigan led Ole Miss with 18 points and seven rebounds. TJ Caldwell came off the bench to score 14 points and grab five rebounds. Matthew Murrell had 12 points and three assists. Jaylen Murray, battling foul trouble most of the game, scored 10 points.

Darius Johnson led UCF with a game-high 25 points. Sellers had 11 points, four rebounds and four steals.

Ole Miss led by as many as nine points early in the second half, but UCF chipped away, eventually taking a 59-58 lead with 4:23 to go.

From there, the Rebels led by as many as six points twice, but turnovers and missed free throws allowed UCF to remain alive until the final buzzer.

Marchellus Avery’s 3-pointer with 45.9 seconds remaining, followed by a turnover and two free throws from Shemarri Allen, cut Ole Miss’ lead to 68-67 with 41.5 seconds left.

After another Ole Miss turnover, UCF coach Johnny Dawkins called timeout and set up a potential go-ahead play. However, the Rebels’ defense broke the Knight’s offense down, eventually leading to a forced shot near the goal that Cisse swatted to Flanigan.

Flanigan made two free throws with 4.4 seconds left, giving Ole Miss a 70-67 lead.

Ole Miss coach Chris Beard called two timeouts to set up the Rebels’ defense, instructing his players to foul and not give up a game-tying 3-pointer. Murray fouled Johnson with 2.2 seconds left.

Johnson missed the first throw and made the second. Flanigan’s hurried attempt at an inbounds pass was deflected, giving Sellers a drive to the rim. Flanigan met Sellers at the basket and stopped the drive, preserving a wild win for Ole Miss.

Ole Miss committed 15 turnovers, one more than UCF’s 14. UCF out-rebounded the Rebels by 10, 39-29, and beat Ole Miss on second-chance points, 12-7.

However, Ole Miss out-shot the Knights from the floor, the 3-point line and the free throw line and also out-scored UCF in bench points, 22-12.

Ole Miss returns to action Saturday in San Antonio versus Pac-12 foe California. The Golden Bears are 3-6 so far this season, losing on Saturday to Butler, 97-90.