The Kentucky Wildcats dominated the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday night in Lexington by a score of 94-78.
Both teams got off to a hot start, which has clearly been a point of emphasis for the Cats. Kentucky is well-known as the comeback Cats this season, which is mainly due to their slow starts. Sometimes, they’ve made their way back. Sometimes, the game has gotten out of hand.
That wasn’t the case on this one, and Mark Pope’s squad was able to end a highly competitive first half on an 8-0 run to take
a 43-32 lead into the break.
After the half, Kentucky extended its lead and never looked back. The score was closer than the game truly was. Kentucky dominated this game from start to finish. The Sooners never had a chance in the second half, despite making some shots late. Kentucky has now won seven of its last eight games.
Next up, the Cats will take on the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night at 8:30 P.M. And with Texas A&M losing, Kentucky is tied for the most SEC wins (seven) as they look to win the regular-season championship.
Here are three things to know from Kentucky’s 16th win of the season!
Not much defense
Oklahoma has been a bad defensive team this season. They’ve now lost nine consecutive games, which can be mainly attributed to the defense.
Kentucky, on the other hand, has been a bit bipolar on the defensive end this season. You never know what you’re going to get. On the season, the stats aren’t bad, but in SEC play, they’ve been playing with fire, which can probably explain the inconsistency.
Oklahoma is a dangerous team offensively, however, which is why they’ve been able to play some of the SEC’s best teams close. That wasn’t the case in this game. Kentucky’s defense wasn’t great, but UK’s offense was. The score might not be completely indicative of the defensive effort, but the Sooners missed A LOT of open shots.
The Cats are coming off an emotional road win with another big rivalry game coming up on Saturday. This could have easily been a “trap” game, but Kentucky took care of business on the offensive end, which made for a fun watch.
OO and BG strongly dislike Oklahoma
Otega Oweh transferred to Kentucky after two seasons at Oklahoma. Brandon Garrison transferred to Kentucky after one season at Oklahoma State. Both players clearly have some sort of disdain for the Sooners.
Garrison’s is obvious, being a former Cowboy and being from Oklahoma City, but Oweh’s is more of a “look at me now.”
Last season, Oweh averaged 27.5 points in two games against his former team, which included last-second shots to secure victories in both games. BG scored 12 against OU in a season in which he averaged just under six points.
In this one, Oweh continued his hot streak, and BG played his best game of the season, notching a double-double in a dominant performance. OO’s play comes as no surprise, as he’s scored 20+ in eight of 10 SEC games thus far, but Garrison’s play has fallen off a cliff this season.
Every now and then, the junior forward reminds us why he was a McDonald’s All-American. And Oweh reminds us why he was the Preseason SEC Player of the Year.
Chandler is providing consistency
Collin Chandler was one of Kentucky’s best players through the first month or so of the season. He then went on about a six-week stretch when he looked like the worst player on the court and was basically unplayable.
It should be no surprise that Kentucky’s uptick in play coincides with Chandler’s return to form. He’s scored double digits in five of the last six games. That one was a 25-point loss to Vandy, and the rest were wins. Chandler is a really good, really mature player, and he’s learned how to become a consistent option for the Cats.
No team is winning the national championship with CC as its best player, but he’s shown the potential to be an integral part of a successful operation. About this time last year, Chandler really woke up. Let’s hope it continues the rest of the way.
Another one in the W column for Pope and Co. Now let’s celebrate!
Go Cats!
