With Winter Storm Fern roaring across the country, Kentucky and Ole Miss moved the start time up an hour to an 11 AM EST tip. But that didn't slow down the Cats. As the Rebels came to town, there was a huge story brewing, too. Travis Perry was back, for the 1st time in Rupp, wearing the opposing team's jersey.
The narrative was written before the ball was even tipped. The Lyon County legend, the kid who was supposed to be the future of Kentucky basketball, was walking into Rupp Arena wearing Ole Miss red and blue, just a few months after transferring. It is the kind of storyline that usually makes Big Blue Nation stand up, the fear of the "revenge game" from a homegrown talent, or a chance to say, yeah, we're better now.
But narratives don't win basketball games, Kentucky does though.
On a Saturday morning where the offense was often ugly, and the rims seemed unforgiving, Kentucky found a way to be beautiful in the chaos, grinding out a 72-63 victory over the Rebels for their 5th in a row.
The reunion that fizzled
The anxiety was palpable when Perry let fly a 24-footer on the very first possession of the game. Setting the tone for what was a disappointing return for both Ole Miss and Perry, he missed.
The "revenge game" never materialized, and it looked a lot more like Bryce Hopkins' return versus Chris Lofton's. Perry struggled to find any rhythm against a Kentucky defense that clearly knew his tendencies. He finished the game scoreless (0-for-3 shooting) with just two rebounds in 10 minutes of action after drawing the start.
Winning ugly is still winning
Let’s be honest, this wasn’t an offensive masterpiece. It was a rock fight between two teams that had a hard time doing much of anything on the offensive end of the court.
Ole Miss shot just 32% from the floor. Kentucky wasn't much better at 36%. There were stretches where it felt like the lid was on the basket for both teams. In fact, the Rebels actually made 3 more shots than Kentucky did from the floor, 21 to 18.
Instead, Mark Pope’s squad found their points coming from the charity stripe, where they doubled up Ole Miss 28 to 14.
Otega Oweh was a warrior, finishing with 23 points and getting to the line 13 times himself. Jasper Johnson provided a spark off the bench with 11 points, including 3-of-6 from deep, and Trent Noah had a great 11-minute run, 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals. Exactly what this team needs from him.
With the game hanging in the balance and Ole Miss refusing to go away, it was again Collin Chandler who delivered the moment of the match.
With 47 seconds left and Kentucky clinging to a 3-point lead, Chandler found space and buried a massive 25-foot three-pointer to extend the lead to 66-60. It was the dagger that finally broke the Rebels' spirit. Chandler has had huge moments in the SEC, from finding Moreno with a full-court bomb to win in Baton Rouge, to today canning a big 3 with under a minute to go.
The shot came after Malachi Moreno had missed a free throw but Kentucky grabbed the offensive rebound.
Moreno then sealed it at the line, part of 6 straight free throw makes in the final minute as Kentucky held on. The big man was a force on the glass all night, pulling down 9 rebounds as well.
This win is bigger than beating a former player though.
Kentucky has now won five straight games in the SEC after losing its first 2. They are 14-6 overall and 5-2 in the SEC. After the injury bug tried to derail the season, this team has found an identity based on toughness and defense that can carry them forward. They didn't play their best basketball today, and they still won by nine points against an SEC opponent.
The Cats are likely heading back into the Top 25 conversations, but they can't celebrate for long. They head back out on the road to face Vanderbilt and Arkansas next, but they do so knowing they can survive an ugly game and come out on top.