Kentucky-Alabama Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
COLEMAN COLISEUM | TUSCALOOSA, ALA.
JANUARY 3, 2026
ATTENDANCE: 13,474

Final Score: No. 14/15 Alabama 89, (RV) Kentucky 74

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 9-5, ending a four-game win streak. Alabama won its fourth in a row and is 11-3. This was the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
• Kentucky leads the series, 117-45, but Alabama has won the last four.
  • UK leads 31-28 in games played in Tuscaloosa.
• Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats return home for a two-game set. UK plays host to Missouri on Wednesday at 7 p.m. with television set for ESPN2.

Team Notes

• Kentucky is 71-21 all-time in SEC openers, 1-1 under Coach Mark Pope.
  • This is only the second time that these SEC founding members have met in the league lidlifter (Alabama 2-0).
• Two Wildcats hit the 20-point mark today, third time this season that has happened.
  • Jaland Lowe and Otega Oweh are the first pair of Kentucky teammates to score at least 20 points each against Alabama at Coleman Coliseum since Jamal Murray and Alex Poythress on Jan. 9, 2016

Player Notes

• Otega Oweh led the Wildcats with a season-high 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
  • It is his third 20-point game of the season, all coming in the last five games.
  • He has scored in double figures in all 14 games this season. He has a total streak of 17 games dating back to last season.
  • His eight boards are the second game in a row he has tied his season high in that category.
  • He had one steal, his ninth straight game with at least one theft.
• Jaland Lowe had a season-high 21 points, his third straight double-figure effort.
• Returning to Tuscaloosa, where he played for Alabama the past two seasons, Mo Dioubate tied for the team lead in rebounds with eight and added six points.
• Brandon Garrison blocked a season-high three shots

In the First Half

• Kentucky started the combination of Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, Collin Chandler, Mo Dioubate and Malachi Moreno for the third consecutive game.
• UK’s first substitution was Jayden Quaintance at 17:01.
• Kentucky scored the first five points but Alabama replied with the next nine and led the rest of the way.
• Alabama led by as many as 21 points at 44-23 and 47-26.
• Kentucky had an 8-0 run late in the half but trailed 50-34 at intermission.
  • Oweh led the Wildcats in the opening stanza with 13 points.
  • UK is now 2-5 this season when trailing or tied at halftime.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky opened with the starters.
• Kentucky cut the lead to 10 points early in the half, 55-45.
• Alabama pushed the lead to 19 at 76-57 before another Wildcat rally cut the gap to nine at 77-68 and 79-70.