No. 21 Ole Miss notches a program first in road win over No. 4 Alabama

Ole Miss accomplished a first on Tuesday evening.

With its 74-64 win at Associated Press No. 4 Alabama (14-3, 3-1 SEC), the Rebels notched their first road win against an AP top-five team in program history.

Per the ESPNU broadcast, No. 21 Ole Miss (15-2, 4-0 in SEC) entered Tuesday's game 3-48 all-time against teams ranked in the top four of the AP poll.

Its last win against a top-five team came during the 2001 SEC Tournament against No. 5 Florida. (h/t Stathead)

The landmark result is huge for a program that hasn't made the NCAA Tournament in six seasons and has only three March Madness appearances since the 2002-03 season.

The Rebels' defense was eye-opening in the win against the Tide. Alabama entered the game averaging 91.1 points per game, No. 1 in the country. It was held under 70 points for the first time since a 71-64 loss to national runner-up San Diego State in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Ole Miss had 14 steals, contributing to Alabama's season-high 21 turnovers. Per KenPom, the Rebels entered the game with a 14.5% steal rate, which ranks seventh in the country. Opponents had a 22.7% turnover rate, which was 12th.

With several outstanding SEC offenses, Ole Miss' defensive prowess could set it apart.

The conference has the top three teams in KenPom's offensive rating, including Auburn, Alabama and Kentucky. Florida ranks eighth, and Mississippi State isn't far behind at No. 17.

If Ole Miss continues playing defense like it did against Alabama, it will have a realistic shot of winning the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2013. It might even win another game or two against a top-five opponent along the way.