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Kentucky holds off Vanderbilt challenge, advances to SEC Tournament semifinals

Kentucky used a 15-1 run in the 2nd half to hold off a pesky Vanderbilt team 77-71 advancing to the SEC Tournament semifinals.

TyTy Washington Jr. scored 25 points, Oscar Tshiebwe tied a half-century-old school record and No. 5 beat 77-71 in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Friday night.

Washington was at his best during a second-half spurt, scoring eight straight points that helped the third-seeded Wildcats (26-6) create a little breathing room in a back-and-forth game. The freshman hit consecutive 3-pointers from the corner, just a few steps from Kentucky’s bench, and then sank a floater in the lane that barely tickled the net and made it 69-60.

He added four free throws in the final 19 seconds to seal the victory inside a packed, pro-Kentucky crowd at Amalie Arena. Washington made 8 of 17 shots, including 4 of 5 from behind the arc.

Tshiebwe, a national player of the year candidate, notched his 14th consecutive double-double and 26th of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds. That matches the single-season mark set by Kentucky great Dan Issel in 1969-70.

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Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter’s Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.

On This Day in UK Basketball History

On June 25, 2015, continuing a record-setting recent run of draft picks, six more Wildcats are selected in the 2015 NBA Draft, tying UK’s own 2012 record mark.  Karl-Anthony Towns becomes the third UK player in program history to go No. 1, and an NBA-record-tying four Wildcats are taken in the lottery.

 

Wildcats Born on This Date

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