Kentucky Beats Troy in NCAA Tournament First Round
Otega Oweh scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds as third-seeded Kentucky beat Troy on Friday 76-57 in the first round of the Midwest Regional of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Oweh added six assists and a pair of steals in the victory.
Kentucky (23-11) got 13 points from Koby Brea, who hit three of six from beyond the arc, and 13 points from Andrew Carr. Brandon Garrison came off the bench to score 13 points for the Cats.
UK hit 28 of 59 (47.5 percent) from the floor, including 10 of 26 (38.5 percent) from behind the arc. Kentucky made 10 of 16 at the line, while Troy made just five of nine. The Cats had 23 assists compared to 14 for the Trojans.
Troy hit a three to get the scoring going before Kentucky got on the board with an Andrew Carr three-point game to tie the game at 3-3. A Koby Brea layup gave the Cats a 5-3 lead early, but Troy would tie the game at five apiece. An Otega Oweh layup made it 7-5 Cats before the Trojans scored four in a row to lead 9-7.
Oweh scored twice to give UK a two-point advantage and a Carr three made it 14-9. A Troy three got the Trojans within two before Oweh hit two free throws and converted a layup to give UK an 18-12 lead. Troy would score the next five to get within one, 18-17.
An Amari Williams free throw gave the Cats a two-point lead but Troy tied the game at 19-19 on their next possession. Carr would score in the lane and Brandon Garrison made a layup to give UK a 23-19 lead. After the Trojans scored, Garrison scored in the lane and UK led 25-21. The Trojans would score three in a row to get within one, 25-24.
Kentucky got three-pointers from Trent Noah and Carr, a fast-break dunk from Williams and a dunk from Brea to complete an 10-0 run which gave the Cats a 35-24 lead. Troy would hit a three late, but the Cats led 35-27 at the half. Carr led all scorers with 11 points in the first half.
Oweh started the second half with a three before Troy made one of two at the line. A Brea three made it 41-28 Cats before the Trojans hit a three to cut the UK lead to 10. Oweh converted underneath before Troy hit a three, cutting the UK lead to 43-34.
A Carr dunk extended the lead to 45-34 but Troy answered with five in a row to get within six, 45-39. A Collin Chandler three and a Garrison layup gave the Cats a 50-39 advantage. Chandler then hit three consecutive free throws and another three and Kentucky led 56-39. Garrison then hit a three of his own and UK led by 20 with 10:21 to play.
The run continued with a Garrison free throw and one by Oweh, giving UK a 61-39 lead. Troy would score to end UK’s 16-0 run. The Trojans would hit a three and two straight layups to cut the Kentucky lead to 61-48 with 5:39 remaining.
A Brea three ended the Troy run, and and Oweh dunk extended the UK lead to 66-48. When Oweh scored again, the Cats again led by 20 points, 68-48, with 3:23 to play. A Williams dunk and a Brea three closed the 12-0 run that put the game away.
Kentucky advances to the second round on Sunday, where the Cats will face the winner of Friday’s late game between Illinois and Xavier.
