Kentucky’s tourney run ends in a heartbreaker

On This Day in UK Basketball History

On March 8, 1949, Kentucky ends the year ranked No. 1 in the first season of the Associated Press basketball poll.

 

On March 8, 1976, Jack Givens keys a late rally as UK outlasts Mississippi State, 94-93 in overtime, in the last game played at Memorial Coliseum.  The final UK regular season game ever in the venerable Memorial Coliseum seemed headed for a crushing letdown. Kentucky trailed Mississippi State 84-77 with 1:23 left in regulation. Lifted by a crowd of 12,200, the Cats fiercely rallied, and, with eight seconds left, Jack Givens buried a short jumper to force overtime.

 

On March 8, 1984, Melvin Turpin scored 42 points against Georgia in the 1984 SEC Tournament. The 42 - his 42nd came on the game's last shot — established a new scoring record for the SEC Tournament.  Turpin's 18 field goals also made him No. 1 in the SEC tournament annals.

 

On March 8, 2025, Kentucky defeats No. 15 Missouri, 91-83, for its eighth win over an Associated Press Top 15 team in Mark Pope's first season as head coach. It is the most wins over AP Top 15 foes in program history and ties Indiana (1992-93) and Duke (1978-79) for the most top 15 wins ever in a single season. Pope's team finishes the year 24-12 overall and earned a trip to the program's first Sweet 16 since 2019.