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Kentucky finds footing in upset of 5th ranked Tennessee in Knoxville

Despite coming off a cold stretch, Kentucky found their footing and outmatched Tennessee, handing them their first SEC loss this season.

head coach has implored his team to fight all season. Fight on defense. Fight for rebounds. Fight for loose balls. Fight through tough times.

On Saturday, the Cats needed to bring the fight even more. UK was without starting point guard Sahvir Wheeler and forward Daimion Collins, who both missed the game due to injury.

The task would be a tough one as the Cats visited fifth-ranked in Knoxville, where the Vols had won 25 in a row at home.

Things did not start well for the Cats, who fell behind 8-0 early. But the Cats showed plenty of fight, scoring the next 10 points to lead for the first time. Later in the first half, Kentucky would trail 23-21, but the Cats fought back again, closing the half on a 12-3 run to lead 33-26 at the break.

Tennessee would make a run in the second have, as would be expected. The Vols scored five in a row in the middle of the second half to take a 43-41 lead.

But the Cats, again, showed fight. Antonio Reeves hit a three, then another jumper, giving UK a 46-43 lead with 7:54 to play.

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On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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