Kentucky overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to beat Tennessee 74-71 at Rupp Arena last night.
The Wildcats have won eight of their last night games to improve to 17-7 overall.
The 14 points was the largest halftime deficit overcome by Kentucky in Rupp Arena history.
Check out all the postgame notes from the win:
KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY.
FEBRUARY 7, 2026
ATTENDANCE: 20,123
Final Score: (RV) Kentucky 74, No. 25/RV Tennessee 71
Team Records and Series Notes
– Winners of eight of the last nine games, Kentucky is 17-7 overall, 8-3 in the Southeastern Conference
– Tennessee is 16-7 overall, 6-4 in the SEC.
– Kentucky leads the series 165-79, including 96-20 in Lexington.
– Kentucky has won the last four regular-season matchups.
– Next for Kentucky: The Wildcats have a mid-week open date before returning to action Saturday at Florida. Game time is 3 p.m. and it will be televised on ABC.
Team Notes
– Trailing by 14 points at halftime, this is the largest halftime deficit overcome by Kentucky in Rupp Arena history.
– The previous record was overcoming a 12-point deficit vs. Arkansas on January 29, 2006.
– This is the first time in Kentucky history that the Wildcats have won three games in a season when trailing by at least 11 points at halftime.
– The win was the fifth double digit comeback for Kentucky this season
– Coach Mark Pope becomes the first head coach in program history to have four wins when trailing by at least 11 points at halftime
– Of Kentucky’s eight SEC wins this season, six are by single-digit margins. UK is 6-1 in SEC games decided by nine or fewer points.
-Kentucky allowed 24 points in the second half, fewest against Tennessee in the second half of a game in Rupp Arena since January 12, 1999 (22).
– Kentucky shot 50 percent from the field, 28 of 56. The Wildcats are 9-0 this season when making at least half their shots.
– UK had eight steals. The Wildcats are 10-1 this season when getting at least eight thefts.
– Kentucky is 5-6 this season when trailing at halftime.
– The win was the 12th over an AP Top 25 opponent under Coach Pope and the fourth this season
Player Notes
– Otega Oweh scored 21 points. It is his 11th 20-point game of the season, all coming in the last 15 games.
He has tallied at least 20 in nine of 11 SEC games, including the last five in a row.
He has scored in double figures in all 24 games this season. He has a total streak of 27 games dating back to last season, the longest such streak of his career. He also had a 26-game double-digit streak last season before his current streak began.
This marks the 17th, 20-point game for Oweh at Kentucky against SEC opponents, the second-most at UK since 1996-97, trailing only Antonio Reeves (19).
Oweh posted his 24th, 20-point game for the Wildcats.
He had two assists, including the crucial drive-and-dish to Chandler for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 32 seconds left.
He led the team in plus/minus with +5.
– Denzel Aberdeen tallied 16 points, his 16th double-figure game of the season and seventh in the last nine games.
He made all four free throws, including two crucial tries with three seconds left that gave the final cushion.
– Malachi Moreno had 10 points and five rebounds. The Wildcats are 9-0 this season when he scores in double figures.
He tied for the team lead in assists with three.
He blocked two shots, the sixth time in the last seven games he had multiple blocks.
– Collin Chandler had nine points, all on 3-pointers, including the go-ahead long ball with 32 seconds to play.
It was his 14th game this season – including seven of the last eight – with multiple made 3s, going 3-of-6 from distance tonight.
– Brandon Garrison had four points and led the Wildcats in rebounds with seven.
– Kentucky is currently missing Jayden Quaintance, Kam Williams and Jaland Lowe because of injury. Lowe is out for the season.
– By the time Kentucky reaches the end of the regular season, during his two years at UK, Coach Mark Pope will have played only five of 52 games against high-major opponents (9.6%) with a full roster.
In the First Half
– Kentucky started the combination of Denzel Aberdeen, Collin Chandler, Otega Oweh, Andrija Jelavic and Malachi Moreno for the fifth consecutive game.
– UK’s first substitution was Brandon Garrison at 16:20.
– Kentucky scored on its first four possessions to take an 8-5 lead.
– Tied at 14 with 10 minutes remaining in the half, Tennessee made five consecutive shots – four of which were 3-pointers – spurting to a 28-18 lead and forcing a Kentucky timeout at the 7:06 mark.
– Making 8 of 15 on 3-pointers – including 8 of 14 by Nate Ament and Ja’Kobi Gillespie — Tennessee took its largest lead into halftime at 47-33.
– Kentucky was led by Oweh with 12 points.
In the Second Half
– Kentucky opened with the starters.
– Kentucky chipped away, eventually taking the lead, 61-60, on a twisting layup by Oweh with 6:15 remaining.
-The teams went back-and-forth until a Chandler 3-pointer with 32 seconds left shoved the Wildcats ahead 71-69.
– Moreno corralled a Tennessee miss, was fouled, and made the first of a 1-and-1 with 14 seconds left.
– Tennessee hit two foul shots with eight seconds left.
– Chandler was fouled with six seconds left. He missed the 1-and-1 but Dioubate got the rebound and Aberdeen was fouled with 3.7 seconds left. He made both free throws and Tennessee missed a half-court heave at the buzzer.
