No. 7 Kentucky uses hot shooting to top Mississippi

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Back at full strength offensively, No. 7 Kentucky showed how strong it could be.

Oscar Tshiebwe had 18 points and 15 rebounds, Sahvir Wheeler added 16 points and the Wildcats shot 60% before holding off Mississippi 83-72 in its home finale Tuesday night.

Kentucky (24-6, 13-4 Southeastern Conference) took control after four minutes behind hot shooting, hitting 9 of its first 12 attempts including 4 of 6 from long range and finishing 59% at halftime. The Wildcats spread the ball around, with five players scoring at least seven points in the first 20 minutes.

Tshiebwe jump-started Kentucky's 62% second-half shooting by scoring six points with a couple of dunks. The Wildcats eventually led 70-56 with 6:03 remaining before the Rebels rallied to within 76-70 on James White's jumper with 2:15 left.

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Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, left, is pressured by Mississippi's Nysier Brooks (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

But like much of the game, Kentucky got the points when it needed them.

TyTy Washington Jr. (14 points off the bench) followed with three free throws in 20 seconds before Tshiebwe's steal resulted in two more from the line by Keion Brooks Jr.' to make it 81-70. Tshiebwe's defensive rebound led to Brooks' jumper with 17 seconds left for a 13-point cushion as the Wildcats finished unbeaten at home.

And came away intact.

"I was just happy to see the ball go through the hole," said Washington, who bounced back from 3-of-12 shooting in his return from injury at Arkansas to make 5 of 10 from the field. The