Joe Crawford could not have picked a better time to work his way out of a slump. The 6-foot-5 guard scored a game high 23 points on 8-10 field goal shooting to lead the Wildcats to their eighth straight victory, a 68-58 win over a good Ole Miss ball club. Randolph Morris added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Cats.
The game was the SEC Conference opener for both teams. Kentucky (12-3, 1-0 SEC) overcame a two point halftime deficit. Kentucky combined a strong shooting night with tough defense, holding Ole Miss to just 38% shooting from the field and just 23% from three point range, holding the Rebels to just 21 total second half points. The Wildcats shot a sizzling 55% from the field and 47% from three-point range (8-17).
Ole Miss had entered the game averaging over 76 points per game and was undefeated in Oxford this season, but Joe Crawford helped turn a close game around for Kentucky in the second half.
The 23 points by Crawford was a season high. The junior guard had been struggling recently, shooting just 38% from the field over his last five games.
The Wildcats return to Lexington where they will next face the Auburn Tigers. Auburn (10-5, 1-0 SEC) also won its SEC opener today, defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores.