Tennessee vs Kentucky

Recap

Kentucky Men’s Basketball Postgame Notes
Thompson-Boling Arena At Food City Center | Knoxville, Tenn.
Jan. 28, 2025
Attendance: 22,272

Final Score: No. 12 Kentucky 78, No. 8 Tennessee 73

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is now 15-5, 4-3 in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee is 17-4 overall, 4-4 in the league.
• Kentucky leads the series 162-78. UK leads 60-53 in games played in Knoxville and has won the last three meetings in Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Mark Pope is 202-113 as head coach, including 15-5 at Kentucky.
• Next for Kentucky: UK returns home to play host to Arkansas on Saturday. The game will be at 9 p.m. and televised on ESPN.

Team Notes

• This was Kentucky’s sixth win this season against teams ranked in The Associated Press top 15 at the time of the game.
• Kentucky’s 78 points are the most Tennessee has yielded this season.
  • UK scored 1.24 points per possession, an excellent mark against one of the nation’s best defensive teams.
• Kentucky shot 50 percent from the field, 25 of 50, and the Wildcats are 10-0 this season when hitting at least half their shots.
• Kentucky made 12 of 24 on 3-pointers. The Wildcats are 11-1 this season when making at least 10 long balls in a game.
  • UK is 3-0 this season when shooting at least 50 percent on 3-pointers.
• The Wildcats did not have a great night at the foul line, but with the verdict in the balance, made 7 of their last 8 free throws.
• All five starters scored in double figures. UK is 10-1 this season when at least five players hit double digits.
• Kentucky limited Tennessee to 34.7 percent from the field (25 of 72). It is UK’s third-best defensive percentage of the season, best vs. an SEC opponent.
• Kentucky limited Tennessee to 24.4 percent on 3-pointers (11 of 45). UK is 9-0 this season when keeping the opponent under 25 percent from long range.
• Kentucky played, basically, without two starters as Lamont Butler did not play and Andrew Carr managed only 1:29 of action.

Player Notes  

• Amari Williams assembled 10 points and a season-high-tying 15 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season.
  • It is his 11^th double-figure scoring game of the season and his ninth game with rebounding double digits.
  • He notched a whopping +20 in the plus/minus statistic.
• Koby Brealed the Wildcats with 18 points. He enjoyed a perfect shooting night from the field, 5 of 5 overall, including three 3-pointers.
  • He has made a 3-pointer in every game this season and 35-straight contests overall. It is his 15^th game this season with multiple 3-pointers.
  • He also tied his season best for assists with three.
• Jaxson Robinson had 17 points, his fifth straight double-figure game and 15^th of the season.
  • He was 4 of 9 from beyond the arc and has now made at least three triples in five straight games.
  • He also had a dogged effort on defense, forced to hound Tennessee star Zakai Zeigler while Lamont Butler missed the game because of injury.
• Otega Oweh scored 14 points, including 4 of 4 at the foul line in the final 30 seconds of the game. He is the only SEC player who has scored in double figures in every game this season.
• Playing a season-high 30 minutes, Ansley Almonor had 12 points, all coming on 3-pointers.
  • It is his second consecutive game with four long balls.
  • He also had a season high for assists with three.
• Trent Noah played nine minutes off the bench and made both his shots in the second half, a 3-pointer that gave UK its largest lead, and a loose ball scramble that he alertly converted into a layup.

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starters were Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea, Otega Oweh, Ansley Almonorand Amari Williams for the first time this season.
• Andrew Carr, Brandon Garrison and Travis Perry were the first substitutions at 15:19.
• Kentucky made four early 3-pointers in jumping out to a 12-4 lead.
• Six of UK’s first seven baskets were 3-pointers as UK led 21-16.
• Kentucky led 30-22 with three minutes remaining but Tennessee closed the half on an 11-0 run to take its only lead of the half, 33-30. Robinson paced the Wildcats in the first half with 11 points.
  • UK is now 3-5 this season when trailing at halftime.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starters.
• The Wildcats opened the stanza with an 11-2 run to retake a 41-35 advantage and never trailed again.
• Consecutive 3-pointers by Robinson and Trent Noah gave UK its largest lead at 55-44.
• Tennessee pulled within 74-73 on a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left.
• With 25 seconds remaining, Oweh made two free throws to make it 76-73.
• Tennessee missed a 3-pointer and Oweh was fouled with seven seconds left, making both foul shots for the final score of 78-73.