Kentucky Falls to Missouri on Wednesday
Otega Oweh scored 20 points but Kentucky saw a late lead disappear as the Cats fell to Missouri 73-68 on Wednesday night at Rupp Arena.
Jaland Lowe and Malachi Moreno each scored nine points for the Cats, while Mo Dioubate and Kam Williams each had eight.
Kentucky scored first on a Denzel Aberdeen bucket but Missouri scored the next four to take a two-point lead. Oweh tied the game with a pair of free throws and Dioubate hit two of his own to give UK a 6-4 advantage. However, the Tigers scored the next four to take the lead back.
Moreno tied the game on a dunk, but the Tigers took the lead back on a free throw but a Brandon Garrison dunk made it 10-9 Cats. Missouri took the lead back on a three-point play, starting a 7-0 run that gave the Tigers a 16-10 lead.
Oweh scored on a fast-break layup but Missouri answered with a three to lead 19-12. Dioubate hit two free throws, Oweh hit a three and then scored on a steal-and-score to tie the game at 19-19. But the Tigers scored four in a row to lead 23-19.
A Moreno half-hook cut the deficit in half and a Williams layup tied the game at 23-23. Missouri took the lead back on a three before Dioubate scored in the lane to cut the deficit to 26-25. The Tigers scored to take a three-point lead before an Oweh free throw and another from Jayden Quaintance got UK within one, 28-27. However, Missouri scored the next five to lead by six.
Jaland Lowe made two free throws to make it 33-29 and after a Missouri turnver, Oweh hit a shot from about 70 feet away to get the Cats within one, 33-32, at the half. Oweh led all scorers with 13 points in the first half.
Kentucky scored first in the second half on a jumper by Lowe, a fast-break layup by Aberdeen and another fast-break layup by Oweh that gave the Cats a 38-33 lead. After a Missouri basket, Aberdeen hit a three and the Cats led 41-35.
The Tigers responded by scoring the next seven points, taking a 42-41 lead in the process. But Lowe hit a corner three to give UK a two-point lead. Williams followed with a three of his own and Kentucky led 47-42 with 13:09 remaining.
The teams traded baskets, with Dioubate scoring for UK, making it 49-44 Cats. Missouri scored the next seven points to lead 51-49 with 9:31 to play. Oweh made one free throw to get the Cats within one and Moreno made another to tie the game at 51 apiece.
Kentucky regained the lead on a pair of Lowe free throws and extended it on a Moreno layup that gave the Cats a 55-51 lead. After a Missouri basket, Williams hit a corner three that gave UK a five-point lead. Missouri hit two free throws, but Moreno hit a pair of his own and UK led 60-55.
Missouri hit a three to get within two before Oweh made one of two at the line to give Kentucky a 61-58 advantage. A Garrison dunk, off an Oweh assist, extended the lead to five and an Oweh three gave the Cats a 66-58 lead with 4:37 to play. However, Missouri scored the next seven to get within one.
A Garrison basket stopped the run and gave Kentucky a 68-65 lead, but the Tigers responded, getting within one with 1:14 remaining. Missouri took the lead with 36 seconds remaining and iced the game with free throws late.
Kentucky returns to action on Saturday, hosting Mississippi State on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on the SEC Network.
