Mississippi's first game as a Top 25 team in six years didn't go well.

Using balanced scoring and tough defense, LSU won the battle of Southeastern Conference unbeatens Tuesday night, toppling the No. 18 Rebels 83-69 in front of a sellout crowd in Oxford, Miss.

Point guard Tremont Waters paced the Tigers (13-3, 3-0) with 20 points and nine assists, while Kavell Bigby-Williams chipped in a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double and blocked five shots before fouling out with 50.9 seconds left. Skylar Mays also scored 14 points and Marlon Taylor added 12.

Terence Davis led Ole Miss (13-3, 3-1) with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to extend the Rebels' 10-game winning streak that propelled the program into the rankings in Kermit Davis' first season as coach. KJ Buffen scored 13 off the bench and Breein Tyree hit for 12 points.

However, the Rebels didn't display their usual offensive efficiency. Entering the night as a top-20 team nationally in field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage, they hit only 40.6 percent from the field and just 9 of 17 at the foul line.

LSU took control by scoring eight straight points for a 48-39 lead with 14:14 left in the game after Naz Reid dunked in transition. The lead reached 10 for the first time when Mays sank a 3-pointer for a 54-44 advantage with 10:31 remaining.

Ole Miss drew within 66-60 when Davis drilled a 3-pointer at the 5:12 mark, but it couldn't string together enough stops to get any closer. Waters iced the contest by hitting two foul shots with 1:55 left for a 75-64 lead.

Neither team found the range for a good chunk of the first half. At the first TV timeout, the score was 4-4 with 15:12 on the clock. But the Rebels finally found a little traction offensively, edging out to a 20-14 advantage when Tyree dunked on the fastbreak.

The Tigers rallied and evened the score when Bigby-Williams hit a free throw with 29 seconds left, sending the teams to the locker room tied at 31.

--Field Level Media