Kentucky-Tennessee Postgame Notes

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 11^th 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 24^th, 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 16^th 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 his14th 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.