Ole Miss basketball dominated Kentucky on Tuesday night, beating the Wildcats 98-84. The Rebels used a 23-point halftime lead to down the Wildcats, as Kentucky was never able to close the gap in the second half.

Ole Miss beat Kentucky on Tuesday night in the first 20 minutes of the game. That was the ball game. Despite a second-half performance that saw the Wildcats drop 53 points while shooting 63 percent from the field and 45.

TRANSCRIPT: Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard, Jaylen Murray and Matthew Murrell talk about Rebels' 98-84 win over Kentucky

Ole Miss finished just 7-11 in SEC play last season, had no wins over a ranked conference opponent, and lost both matchups with Auburn by 14 and 23 points, respectively. Auburn is an even stronger team this season, so for Beard and the Rebels to cut that deficit to only 10 points while keeping it close the majority of the game is impressive.

It was just the fifth time Ole Miss had beaten the storied powerhouse program, as the Rebels left its home arena the SJB Pavilion with a 98-84 victory.

What Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard saw in the practice facility a few days ago backed his belief in Davon Barnes' ability to seal the game.

It felt like every time the Rebels pushed the Tigers, Auburn had an answer from one of its sharp shooting guards as they were almost automatic from behind the arc. Still, Ole Miss coach Chris Beard believes his team was in position to win the game at various points on Saturday.

The Rebels picked up a 72-69 win against Texas to start last week. Senior guard Davon Barnes hit big free throws down the stretch to lift the Rebels to a late win. That win ended Ole Miss' three-game slide, but the Rebels failed to the win on Saturday. Ole Miss lost 92-82 to No. 1 Auburn. Despite the loss, Beard was optimistic after the game.