After not leading until 34 seconds remained, Kentucky Basketball closed the game by making three straight shots and holding the Tennessee Volunteers to no baskets in the final 5:38 remaining. It was a gritty
effort in an 80-78 road win for the Wildcats.
This is the kind of win Kentucky needed. Forget they trailed by 17 late in the first half. This is a win that can inspire a ton of confidence in this young but exciting group.
First Half
Tennessee really showed its muscle and size early, grabbing three offensive rebounds within the first five minutes of the game. The Volunteers used an 11-0 run to race out to a 20-8 lead just over six minutes into the game.
Kentucky, though, withstood the Volunteers’ onslaught and battled back into the game to make it 22-16 midway through the first half.
The Volunteers were relentless in the first 20 minutes, out-rebounding Kentucky 20-12 and forcing eight Kentucky turnovers. Eight of those rebounds were on the offensive glass.
Despite Kentucky shooting 10-of-23 from the floor and 5-of-14 from 3-point range, the Volunteers countered with 14-of-31 from the field and 6-of-13 from 3-point range to lead 42-31 at halftime.
Second Half
This was where Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen took over. The duo combined for 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 4-of-12 from 3-point range.
The Kentucky Wildcats channeled their inner-Chicago Bears and clawed their way back into the game. They did it with 3-point shooting— yes, the Wildcats can shoot 3s — pounding the paint, getting defensive sides, and showing grit that is becoming a defining trait of this team.
Kentucky cut the deficit to two points once and to three points on multiple occasions in the second half. Each time they did, though, Tennessee had an answer.
With the Wildcats trailing 77-75 with 1:13 remaining, Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen scored the next five points to give Kentucky an 80-77 lead. That took the clock down to 13.8 seconds remaining.
Tennessee got an offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer, but Kentucky fouled the Volunteers to send Ja’Kobi Gillespie to the free-throw line, where he made one and missed the second on purpose, but Tennessee couldn’t corral the rebound and get a shot off before the clock expired, giving the Wildcats a monumental win.
Highlights
MVP: Collin Chandler
Chandler has found his shooting stroke again. He made four of six 3-pointers. More importantly, it was his steal that set up Otega Oweh’s game-winning and-one with 34 seconds to play. Chandler had two steals on the afternoon.
It’s been a very rough stretch for Chandler coming into today, but he reminded everyone what he’s capable of, and it allowed the Wildcats to escape Knoxville with a massive win.
Also, a shoutout to Denzel Aberdeen following his second straight quality performance following the loss of Jaland Lowe.
Box Score
Kentucky vs. Tennessee Twitter Reactions
Big Blue Nation was definitely engaged with this matchup. Here are the best reactions from Kentucky fans Saturday afternoon.
