Rebels Host No. 6 Kentucky Inside the Pavilion for Senior Night

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

Devontae Shuler Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics
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The Ole Miss Rebels basketball team closes out 2018-19 season home slate this evening as they host No. 6 Kentucky for senior night. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Ole Miss (19-10, 9-7 SEC) comes in after a heartbreaking loss 74-73 at Arkansas on Saturday. Sophomore Devontae Shuler recorded 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in the game.

Coach Kermit Davis’ squad leads the league in free-throw shooting at 77.5 percent. Junior Breein Tyree ranks third in scoring (18.3 ppg), free-throw percentage (83.2 percent) and playing time (33.6 minutes per game) as well as fifth in field goal percentage (48.4 percent) and seventh three-pointers made (2.2 per game).

The Rebels will honor three players who all hail from the state of Mississippi before tonight’s game — D.C. Davis (Purvis), Terence Davis (Southaven) and Bruce Stevens (Louin).

No. 6 Kentucky enters tonight’s matchup with a 24-5 record, including 13-3 in SEC play. The Wildcats saw their four-game winning streak come to an end at No. 7 Tennessee on Saturday with a 71-52 setback in Knoxville. The streak started with a victory over the Volunteers at Rupp Arena (Feb. 16) when they were ranked No. 1 in the nation. Kentucky is one of the best teams in the country in rebounding.

The Wildcats’ rebounding margin of +9.5 leads the SEC and ranks third nationally. UK has balanced scoring with four Wildcats averaging double figures led by PJ Washington’s 14.9 ppg. Freshman Tyler Herro adds 13.9 ppg, and Keldon Johnson records 13.4 ppg. Graduate transfer Reid Travis is averaging 11.3 ppg.

This game will be the 120th meeting between the two schools. The Wildcats hold a 106-13 lead in the series, but two of the Rebels’ 13 all-time wins have come in the last 13 meetings. Ole Miss has 10 victories in Oxford, but Kentucky has won the last nine matchups. In the only contest between the two programs at The Pavilion, UK’s Isaiah Briscoe produced a triple-double to lead No. 8 Kentucky to a 99-76 win (Dec. 29, 2017).

Fans can watch all the action on ESPN or listen to all the action on the Ole Miss Radio Network.