Oxford, MS -- (Sports Network) - Dwayne Curtis totaled 17 points and 16 rebounds to lead the second-seeded Ole Miss Rebels to an 83-68 win over the seventh- seeded UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in the first round of the NIT at Tad Smith Coliseum.

Chris Warren added 16 points for the Rebels (22-10), who will face off against Nebraska in Monday night's second round. David Huertas and Kenny Williams also got involved, chipping in 15 and 13 points, respectively.

The Gauchos (23-9) were paced by Alex Harris who scored 20 points in the loss. James Powell chipped in with 18 points, while Chris Devine netted 14.

Ole Miss made a mere 8-of-15 shots at the free-throw line in the first half, yet still played well enough to claim a 37-36 lead at the break.

The Rebels pulled away in the second stanza, knocking down 7-of-12 three-point attempts, en route to the 15-point victory.

Ole Miss, which turned the ball over 18 times on the night, dominated the Gauchos in the post, outscoring UCSB 38-22 in the paint.