Kentucky had one of best defensive performances of Mark Pope era vs Ole Miss

The Kentucky Wildcats had their best field goal percentage defense against an SEC opponent of Mark Pope era.

Jan 24, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope claps after a possession during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky basketball has won plenty of ugly games this season, but none included better defense than on Saturday when they held the Ole Miss Rebels to 63 points in a very gritty win. It was not a pretty game at all, as both teams, in fact, relied heavily on free throws for much of the game. But for Kentucky, their defense is what won them the game against the Rebels.

It was a very low scoring affair for two teams that have actually been very efficient on that side of the ball in SEC play. Kentucky's defense even held Ole Miss to their lowest halftime scoring total of the entire season, as they scored just 23 points in the first half of Saturday's game. The two teams were even a combined 15-53 in the first half. As for the second half, the Wildcats were trying to pull away from the Rebels, but they continued to not go away, making plays when it mattered. That was until it actually mattered when Kentucky came up huge. The Wildcats allowed just four Ole Miss field goals in the last 4:28 of the game, and that allowed the big run to help finally pull away, ending the game on a 10-3 run over the last minute to go from up by two points to winning by nine.

Jan 24, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) attempts to steal the ball from Mississippi Rebels guard Zach Day (31) during the second half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky played very impressive defense all game, contesting shots at an elite level, which is a big reason why Ole Miss had to really get to the line early. The Wildcats allowed them to shoot just 1-10 from three in the first half, including going just 7-28 overall. In the second half, the game opened up more for the Rebels, but the Wildcats still contested very well, especially down the stretch, which really helped them open up the lead late. In fact, the Wildcats played such good defense that it was the best field goal percentage defense against an SEC opponent of the Mark Pope era, according to Corey Price. Kentucky held Ole Miss to just 32.3 percent shooting overall from the floor.

Mark Pope and his players continue to talk about how good they can be defensively, and Sarturday's performance is an excellent example of the type of suffocating defense they can become when the intensity is there all game. It certainly showed in the final minutes.