The Kentucky Wildcats took the floor on Wednesday night still licking their wounds after a lopsided loss to Alabama over the weekend.
With Mark Pope continuing to search for answers, it was critical for UK
to stabilize this uneasy situation by securing a victory in their conference home opener. Kentucky hadn’t lost its first SEC home game of the season since 2013.
Much of the first half was a difficult watch for the Big Blue Nation. Poor execution and a lack of grit resulted in a deficit on the scoreboard that took the air out of Rupp Arena.
Things livened up considerably after Mark Pope was assessed a technical for passionately arguing a no-call. The half ended on a jaw-dropping note when Otega Oweh sank a shot from 3/4 court.
The Cats carried that momentum over and stole the lead back from the Tigers. Led by Otega Oweh, Kentucky showed spurts of excellent execution on both ends of the floor. The game was back-and-forth, with both teams refusing to let the other pull away, but the Tigers wound up coming away with a 73-68 win thanks to a 15-2 run to end the game.
It was a late-game collapse that sealed UK’s fate, pushing this season even further over the edge. Things are not well in Lexington.
Missouri moves to 2-0 in conference play while Kentucky remains winless. This marks the Tigers’ first win ever in Rupp Arena.
Demoralizing collapse leads to Missouri’s first win in Rupp Arena
This one REALLY hurts.
In a season that has already produced so much pain for Kentucky fans, the knife was twisted even further Wednesday night when the Cats completely melted down in the last minute of a game. Losing to Missouri is bad enough, but giving it away down the stretch was devastating.
How does this team respond?
Your guess is as good as mine. But all eyes will be on Mark Pope and how he handles what is now a toxic situation in year two. Fans will be very curious to see how Pope responds to the media after what is one of the worst losses in recent memory.
Mark Pope rages out and receives a first-half technical
If you wanted to see more fire and fight from UK’s head coach, you got what you asked for in the first half of Wednesday night’s conference home opener against Missouri.
After a no-call on the other end of the floor, Pope erupted in a curse word-filled rage that led to him receiving a technical foul. The ESPN broadcast caught a clear “That’s Bull-sh**!” from Pope, who repeatedly made his displeasure known.
The BBN may very well like the idea of Mark Pope turning a new leaf and becoming more of a villain as opposed to his typical light-spirited self. I mean, it can’t hurt, right?
It’s absolutely worth noting that after the technical was assessed, Pope’s team responded with inspired play and more sustained energy than they’ve shown in some time.
Otega Oweh drains a shot from outer space
The first half of Wednesday’s game ended with what very well could have been the longest made shot in the history of UK basketball. At a minimum, it was close to it.
Oweh heaved a 3/4 court prayer as time expired, and it miraculously swished through the net, igniting what had been a tame crowd. The momentum carried over as Kentucky was able to come out swinging in half number two, regaining the lead.
Oweh did much more than just drain an unbelievable shot; he followed up his 22-point performance against Alabama with another stellar outing. With #00 playing like the best slasher in the conference, it could offer some hope that this team is salvageable.
Beat Mississippi State
For the rest of this season, if nothing else, Kentucky has to protect its home floor and beat the teams it’s favored to beat. The SEC gauntlet will prove to be a test of endurance and offer no opportunity for a break.
Getting Missouri and Miss. State back-to-back on your home floor may be about as good as it gets in terms of the Cats racking up much-needed victories. They already blew it against the Tigers, making their next game a must-win.
Saturday, the Cats will tip off at 8:30 PM against Mississippi State, and after that, it’ll be on the road for two tough matchups against LSU in Baton Rouge and at #21 Tennessee.
We’re about to see how much fortitude this team really has…if they have any at all.
