Rally Cats Win Third Consecutive Game, Topping UT 80-78
For the third consecutive game, Kentucky found itself down double digits to a Southeastern Conference opponent. And for the third straight time, the Cats were able to rally to win, this time beating No. 24 Tennessee 80-78 in Knoxville on Saturday.
Denzel Aberdeen scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half as the Cats rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit. Collin Chandler, Jasper Johnson and Otega Oweh each scored 12 points, while Mo Dioubate had 10.
Tennessee scored the first four points before Andrija Jelavic scored to make it 4-2. After a Vols’ three, Johnson hit a three of his own to get the Cats back within two. UT responded with a basket to lead by four.
Jelavic hit a three to get the Cats within one, but Tennessee scored the next 11 to lead 20-8. Johnson hit a three to end that streak and get UK within nine. After a UT bucket, Chandler hit a three and Johnson scored on a floater to make it 22-16. The Vols scored the next three to lead by nine.
Dioubate scored to cut the deficit to 25-18, but Tennessee scored the next four to lead by 11. Two Oweh free throws got the Cats within nine, but UT scored the next seven to lead 36-20.
UT would lead 41-24 before Kentucky got a Johnson jumper, a Chandler three and another Johnson bucket to cut the deficit to 41-31. The Vols led 42-31 at the half.
Tennessee scored the first two points of the second half, but Aberdeen got hot for the Cats. He scored four in a row to make it 44-35. Then, following a UT basket, Aberdeen hit a three to get UK within eight. The Vols made two free throws to lead by 10 again.
Kam Williams and Dioubate scored to cut the deficit to 48-42. After a UT bucket, Brandon Garrison scored on a tip in to get UK within six again. The Vols hit a three to lead by nine.
Dioubate hit two free throws and a layup to get Kentucky within five, 53-48. After a UT basket, Chandler hit a three to get within four, 55-51. The Vols hit a three but Aberdeen answered with a three of his own to make it 58-54. After a Tennessee three-point play, Chandler hit another three to cut the deficit to four again.
After two UT free throws, Aberdeen scored underneath to cut the deficit to 63-59. The Vols scored but Oweh hit a three to make it 65-62 with 7:52 remaining. The Vols scored, but Malachi Moreno converted a three-point play to get the Cats within two. However, the Vols answered with a three-point play of their own to lead by five.
Two Oweh free throws were answered with two UT free throws and the lead remained at five. Aberdeen scored on a layup to cut the deficit to 72-69. Tennessee scored the next three before an Oweh dunk got the Cats within four.
After a UT free throw, Aberdeen hit a floater to cut the UT lead to 76-73. Dioubate then scored in the lane to get Kentucky within one. After Tennessee made one-of-two at the line, Oweh did the same, making it 77-76 with 50 seconds left. Chandler then stole a UT pass and got it to Oweh, who converted the fast-break layup to give UK its first lead of the game. Oweh missed the subsequent free throw, but Dioubate got the offensive rebound and Aberdeen scored to give UK an 80-77 lead with 16 seconds remaining.
Tennessee was fouled with 2.6 seconds remaining and the Vols made the first charity toss before intentionally missing the second. The Vols got the loose ball rebound, but Moreno blocked a shot that would have tied the game as the buzzer sounded.
Kentucky returns to action on Wednesday, hosting Texas at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on the SEC Network.
