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KENTUCKY 71, MISSISSIPPI 58

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The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 13, 2009

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Kentucky needed a win in its tournament opener to keep hope alive for reaching the NCAA Tournament, and the Wildcats' All-SEC performers - junior guard Jodie Meeks and sophomore forward Patrick Patterson - turned in big games.

Meeks produced his 21st 20-point game of the season with a game-high 25 on 9-for-15 shooting, and Patterson controlled the paint and posted a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Meeks made his presence felt early in each half. He scored six of the team's first 14 points and chipped in six during Kentucky's 13-2 run to open the second half.

Patterson's production was more spread out, but he had some rim-rocking dunks, including a thunderous two-handed put-back off a miss early in the second half.

TURNING POINT

After a see-saw first half that included nine lead changes and eight ties, Kentucky turned the game into a one-sided affair only five minutes into the second half.

The Wildcats opened the second half on a 13-2 run to take a 49-40 lead at the 14:55 mark. The Rebels were 1-for-6 from the floor with five turnovers during that stretch. They never were able to get closer than five points the rest of the way.

UNSUNG HERO

Kentucky dominated the paint, outscoring the Rebels 48-22 down low and taking the rebounding advantage 35-28, including 13 offensive boards. As much of a factor as Patterson was for the Wildcats, forward Perry Stevenson deserves his share of credit.

The 6-foot-9 junior finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, including four on the offensive end. Both numbers were better than his per-game season averages of 7.4 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Stevenson scored eight consecutive points midway through the first half to help Kentucky keep pace with Ole Miss.

"It's nice when Perry plays like he did," Wildcats coach Billy Gillispie said. "That's the Perry Stevenson that we need to have play."

WHERE'S THE SUPPORT?

Rebels guard Terrico White, the SEC's Freshman of the Year, did his best to give Ole Miss a chance.

White scored a team-high 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting and was one of the main reasons the Rebels carried a 38-36 lead into halftime. He scored eight of his 15 first-half points in the closing minutes of the half.

The rest of the Rebels' starting five didn't give White much help offensively, however. The four other starters - forwards Malcolm White and Murphy Holloway and guards Will Bogan and Zach Graham - combined for 18 points. And although regular starter David Huertas, the team's leading scorer, chipped in 15 off the bench, he struggled from the field on 4-for-14 shooting, including 1-for-5 from 3-point range.

Adam Adkins

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