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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
13-4, 2-2
Kentucky
11-4, 2-2
Wildcats Too Much For Rebels In 87-64 Loss
1/15/2002 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2002
By STEVE BAILEY
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Tayshaun Prince scored 19 points and Marquis Estill had 15 as No. 12 Kentucky beat Mississippi 87-64 Tuesday night.
Gerald Fitch had 13 points and 11 rebounds, his second-double-double of the season, as the Wildcats (11-4, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) won their second straight game following consecutive losses.
David Sanders scored 17 points, Emmanuel Wade had 13 and Justin Reed added 11 for the Rebels (13-4, 2-2), who were 3-of-18 from 3-point range and shot a season-low 33 percent.
Mississippi trailed by 24 points late in the first half and by 15 at halftime. The Rebels cut the lead to 11 on Reed's putback with 13:11 to play, but would get no closer.
Prince scored on a drive to the basket and swished a long 3-pointer to key a 17-2 Kentucky run and push the lead to 64-38 with 7:10 to play.
The lead never dipped below 20 the rest of the way as the Rebels finished with a season-low 64 points.
Prince, Estill and Fitch went a combined 17-of-28 as the Wildcats shot 53 percent and blocked 10 shots.
Kentucky's suffocating defensive pressure confused Mississippi early. The Rebels made only one of their first 12 shots and trailed 23-4 midway through the first half.
Mississippi made its second field goal - a 3-pointer by Jason Harrison - with 7:25 to play to cut the margin to 24-8.
The Wildcats extended the lead to 35-11 with 3:25 remaining. At that point, Mississippi was 3-of-23 from the field, including 1-of-10 from behind the 3-point line.
An 11-2 run to end the half pulled Mississippi within 37-22 at halftime. The Rebels shot 24 percent for the half, hitting only 17 percent from 3-point range.
