Postgame Games From Kentucky’s Win at Tennessee

Final Score: Kentucky 80, 24/RV Tennessee 78

Team Records and Series Notes

– For the third game in a row, Kentucky overcame a deficit of at least 12 points (17 today) as the Wildcats won 80-78 at No. 24/RV Tennessee.
– Kentucky is 12-6 overall, 3-2 in the Southeastern Conference.
– Tennessee is 12-6 overall, 2-3 in the SEC.
– Kentucky leads the series, 164-79.
– UK leads 61-53 in Knoxville and the Wildcats have won the last four.
– It is the first time UK has won four in a row in Knoxville since 2003-06.
– It is the first time UK has won six of seven in Knoxville since 1951-1964 (12 of 13)
– Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats return home for a two-game set, beginning Wednesday vs. Texas at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Team Notes

– The last time Kentucky came back from at least 12 points behind in three straight was 2017 vs. Florida (12 points down), vs. Vanderbilt (19) and at Texas A&M (15).
– This was the largest halftime comeback win at Tennessee in UK history.
– Tennessee is 100-2 over their last 102 home games when leading at the half. Their two losses have both come to Kentucky the last two seasons
– Entering today, Tennessee was 10-0 at home this season and had won 13 in a row in the Food City Center, dating back to UK’s win last year in Knoxville.
– Over the past five seasons, Tennessee is 73-8 at home. Four of the eight losses have come to Kentucky
– Although Tennessee had a 16-14 advantage in offensive rebounds, Kentucky won second-chance points 19-7.
– Kentucky had five double figure scorers and the Wildcats are 7-0 this season when that happens.
– UK had three double-figure scorers off the bench, winning bench points 36-22.
– Kentucky led for only 34 seconds today; in the two road wins this week, UK led by a total of 1 minute, 44 seconds.
– Kentucky shot 45.8 percent on 3-pointers, 11 of 24.
– UK is 6-0 this season when shooting at least 40 percent on long balls, including the last three games.
– UK is 7-1 this season when making at least 10 3-pointers and 23-4 overall under Mark Pople

Player Notes

– For the second game in a row, Denzel Aberdeen played a marvelous second half.
Today he scored 18 of his team-high 22 points in the second half; on Wednesday he scored all 17 of his points in the second stanza.
He sparked the rally with a pair of 3-pointers early in the second half.
It is his second 20-point game of the season.
Over the last three games, he has averaged 18.3 points per game.
– Otega Oweh had 12 points and has scored in double figures in all 18 games this season. He has a total streak of 21 games dating back to last season.
He had two steals, his 13th straight game with at least one theft; 12 of those 13 games feature at least two steals.
With the Wildcats struggling offensively in the first half, Jasper Johnson came off the bench to score 12 points in the opening stanza.
He led the team in assists with four, three of which came during the second-half rally.
This is his fourth double-figure game of the season and first in an SEC game.
– Collin Chandler tallied 12 points, all coming on his 4 of 6 shooting on 3-pointers.
It is his season-high scoring in an SEC game.
He has three steals, including the swipe that led to the go-ahead score with 34 seconds left.
– Mo Dioubate played a muscular all-around offensive and defensive game, leading UK in plus/minus with a +16.
He totaled 10 points and led the Wildcats in rebounding with six boards.
– Malachi Moreno had just three points, but he tied for the team lead in rebounding with six and tied a season high with four blocked shots.
For the second-game in a row, Moreno had the decisive final play of the game.
On Wednesday, he swished a jumper at the buzzer for the win at LSU.
Today, he blocked the potential game-tying shot at the buzzer.
– Jayden Quaintance missed his third straight game while dealing with his knee recovery.

In the First Half

– Kentucky started the combination of Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, Kam Williams, Andrija Jelavic and Malachi Moreno for the second straight game.
– UK’s first substitution was Jasper Johnson at 17:52 after Aberdeen picked up two fouls.
– Tennessee jumped out 14-8, prompting a UK timeout at 15:02.
– Tennessee extended the run to 11-0, making the lead 20-8.
– Tennessee pushed the lead to 17 points at 41-24 before UK replied with a 7-0 spurt.
– Tennessee went to halftime with a 42-31 advantage.
– Johnson led the Wildcats with 12 points.
– UK is now 4-5 this season when trailing at halftime, rallying from deficits against Indiana (7 points), St. John’s (7), LSU (16) and Tennessee (11).

In the Second Half

=Kentucky opened with the starters.
= Aberdeen hit a pair of 3-pointers, sparking an 11-6 run to open the half to cut the score to 48-42 at the first television timeout at 15:12.
– Kentucky gradually, gradually, gradually narrowed the gap to 77-76.
– A Chandler steal and fast-break lob to Oweh resulted in a layup and a foul as Kentucky took its first lead, 78-77, with 34 seconds remaining.
– Oweh missed the foul shot, but Dioubate rebounded, leading to an Aberdeen layup and 80-77 score with 16 seconds left.
– Tennessee missed a 3-pointer, but Ja’kobi Gillespie rebounded and was fouled by Dioubate.
– Gillespie made the first foul shot (80-78) and intentionally missed the second.
– In the scramble for the rebound, Jaylen Carey came up with the ball but his potential tying shot at the buzzer was blocked by Moreno.
– Tennessee did not have a field goal over the last 5:38 of game time