FINAL: Kentucky runs out of gas down the stretch in tough 82-78 road loss to Texas
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No. 15 Kentucky had plenty of opportunities to leave Austin with a win on Saturday night, but a late-game collapse cost the Wildcats in an 82-78 loss to the unranked Texas Longhorns.
Down Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson due to injury, freshman guard Travis Perry was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time in his college career. The shorthanded ‘Cats fought hard for about 38 minutes before the mistakes piled up in the final two. An 11-0 Texas run during the final three minutes sealed the deal.
Amari Williams finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. He was aided by 20 points and five rebounds from Otega Oweh, but a lack of true ball handlers proved costly once crunch time hit. Perry finished with six points, three assists, and three turnovers. Texas star freshman Tre Johnson dropped a season-high 32 points and nine rebounds for Texas while Tramon Mark poured in 26 points of his own.
It was one of the worst shooting performances of the season for Kentucky, which shot 41.9 percent from the field and just 6-24 from beyond the arc. A 20-28 mark from the free-throw line allowed the ‘Cats to lead this game for nearly 23 minutes. But 58 combined points for Johnson and Mark was too much to overcome.
Not having Butler and Robinson makes this loss a bit easier to swallow, but there’s no denying that Kentucky gave this win away down the stretch.
The opening segment of this one was all about the ‘Cats. Kentucky jumped out to a 9-2 lead while Texas missed six of its first seven shots. The first media timeout quickly calmed the Longhorn nerves though. Texas responded by making six of its next nine shots and later stole the lead midway through the opening half.
Texas led by as many as five, 28-23, before Kentucky flipped the script back in its favor. The Wildcats finished the half on an 18-9 run to take a 41-37 lead into the break. Williams, who had nine points, five rebounds, and two assists at halftime, even hit his first three-pointer of the season in a late-clock situation. Ansley Almonor and Oweh each chipped in eight first-half points while Trent Noah was up to seven points and four rebounds.
At least through the first 20 minutes, Kentucky did a solid job defending Johnson. He still had 15 points but on 6-14 shooting (1-6 3PT). Mark added 11 points while no other Longhorn had more than five at the intermission. The shorthanded ‘Cats were in a good spot considering the circumstances.
The second half started out sloppy on both ends with nine combined turnovers less than five minutes in. Seven fouls were called in that span too as the flow of the game tightened up. It didn’t get much prettier either. Both teams were in the bonus at the 12-minute media timeout, but Texas was slowly beginning to win the slugfest. Kentucky went five minutes without a field goal as the Longhorns took a 54-51 lead.
Offense was becoming tough for the ‘Cats. Another three-minute field goal drought came at the worst time, but free throws allowed UK to hang around. A freebie from Williams even gave Kentucky a 59-58 lead with 7:45 left in regulation. That created enough momentum for a 6-0 run that put UK up by five, forcing a Texas timeout.
It would be sweaty palms time down the stretch. Kentucky was clinging to a 69-66 advantage at the final media timeout but Texas went on a timely 8-0 run to sneak ahead by four with 95 seconds to go. Too many mistakes began to stack up for the ‘Cats. There would be no comeback in the final possessions as Texas picked up a much-needed resume victory.
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FINAL: Kentucky runs out of gas down the stretch in tough 82-78 road loss to Texas
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Kentucky falls at Texas: 4 things to know and postgame banter
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This is a tough one to swallow.
The Kentucky Wildcats traveled to Austin for a date with the Texas Longhorns tonight. In what was a shorthanded game for the Cats, they came up just short, losing 82-78.
Heading into tonight’s game, there were some major concerns about what to expect from this injury-filled UK roster. Well, that gave an answer quickly in this one as the Cats attacked from the tip. Some impressive offensive sets run, alongside some solid defense, helped Kentucky head into the locker room with a lead at 41-37.
Coming out of the half, Kentucky continued to put its foot on the gas, leading much of the way in the second half. However, it seems they ran out of gas in the final three minutes, as Texas’ momentum led it past the Cats with a huge run to end the game.
Despite the injuries, this loss is still one that stings. They had a team that was reeling on the ropes and couldn’t land the knockout punch.
Now, they will turn their attention to the Vanderbilt Commodores on Wednesday night. After an early conference loss to Vandy in Nashville, the Cats need to bounce back and win one in Rupp.
Let’s take a look at four things to know from tonight’s loss.
By now, we all know that this Kentucky team is shorthanded, and it appears they will be for the foreseeable future.
Despite that, the Cats ran a rotation of players as the lead ball-handler, giving the BBN a look at what they can expect going forward. Whether it be Travis Perry, Amari Williams, Otega Oweh, or Koby Brea, Mark Pope is looking for answers at the lead guard spot with Jaxson Robinson and Lamont Butler sidelined.
It also should be noted that Andrew Carr continues to look like a shell of himself following his back injury. If he can’t get to what we saw vs. Duke and Florida, Kentucky’s ceiling gets lower.
Trent Noah has quickly become a fan favorite, and for good reason. After an impressive performance against Tennessee on Tuesday night, he followed that up with another solid outing in Austin tonight.
Injuries forced Noah into the rotation quickly after not seeing much time early in conference play. You would never guess that he has been out of the rotation with the confidence he is playing with.
He has landed the nickname “Mountain Mamba.” Well, at this rate, we could be seeing some big moments from the Harlan County kid in March.
Early in the year, Amari Williams seemed to be hit or miss in how we would play in his role in Mark Pope’s unique offense. Now, with a month left in the season, there is an argument to be made that he might be the most versatile big man in the SEC.
He proved that again tonight as he dominated on both ends of the floor.
It is not every day we see a 7-foot center bringing the ball up the floor. One certainly doesn’t typically see one leading the team in assists on a regular basis. That is the case for Williams.
Kentucky has a chance to make a run this March, and Williams will be a key piece if that is to happen.
The Cats had a real chance to lay an egg on the road tonight with all of the injuries. With them being safely in the tournament, it would be easy to pack it in and just prepare for March.
Well, tonight showed that there are still plenty of wins to be had remaining on this schedule, no matter when Butler and Robinson return.
It’s not always going to be easy, but I love the chance these guys give the team a chance each night.
Now, let’s discuss the game.
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Big Blue Preview: Kentucky at Texas
No. 15 Kentucky is coming off a big win over fifth-ranked Tennessee. However, as head coach Mark Pope and his Cats prepare for a trip to Texas on Saturday, UK is battling injuries to a number of key players.
Jaxson Robinson missed Tuesday night’s game with a wrist injury, while point guard Lamont Butler was injured during the win over the Vols. Both players are ailing and Pope didn’t seem to think that either of the two would be likely to play on Saturday.
“Timing wise and recovery wise, and there’s also a little bit of a guessing part, in terms of just the best medical treatment at the best time,” Pope said. “They’re both pretty serious injuries. The guys are desperate to play and they’re desperate to get healthy, short-term and long-term, and kind of balancing all those out with the calendar, not just for the season but for the summer and for next year. Trying to fit all those pieces together, and see day by day what kind of returns they get from new medical treatments.”
While the Cats will miss both Butler and Robinson, there will be opportunities, and a pair of Kentucky kids stepped up their games against Tennessee on Tuesday.
Harlan County native Trent Noah, known to his teammates as the “Mountain Mamba”, had a career-high 11 points for the Cats in the win, while Lyon County native and Kentucky Mr. Basketball Travis Perry had a career-best eight points. Pope sees roles for both of these players, as well as fellow freshman Collin Chandler.
“Those three guys, it’s just time for them to step up and be great,” Pope said. “We’re relying heavily on them and that’s what they want and that’s what we want and it’s awesome. I have a lot of confidence in those guys and it’s just time for us to be better. I thought they all three were spectacular on Tuesday and we expect them to be great this weekend also.”
On Saturday, the Cats take on Texas and the SEC’s leading scorer, Tre Johnson. Pope has seen Johnson on film and is impressed at nearly everything he does.
“He’s a problem because he makes hard shots, he makes bad shots,” Pope said. “It’s hard to live with any shots with him. He’s an incredibly talented player. He plays hard, he gives great effort. He’s aggressive. A real challenge.”
Kentucky will likely be shorthanded again on Saturday and if the Cats are to stop Johnson and the Longhorns, they will need some of the youngers to fill in admirably.
Shorthanded Cats Outlast Vols for Season Sweep
Ansley Almonor and Otega Oweh each scored 13 points as No. 15 Kentucky topped fifth-ranked Tennessee 75-64 on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.
Koby Brea, starting in place of the injured Jaxson Robinson,
scored 11 points and Trent Noah came off the bench to score 11 as well.
Kentucky (17-7, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) made 12 of 24 from beyond the arc, while the Vols made just 3 of 18 (16.7 percent) of their long-distance shots.
UK’s bench accounted for 26 points, including 11 from Noah and eight from Travis Perry.
Some additional notes from the game:
• This was Kentucky’s eighth game this season against a team ranked in The Associated Press top 15. UK is now 7-1 in those games, setting the school record for most top-15 wins in the regular season. The previous record was six top-15 wins in the regular season by the 2002-03 team.
• UK now owns five wins against AP top 10 teams this season, the most in Division I
• Kentucky limited Tennessee to 16.7 percent on 3-point shooting, making 3 of 18. UK is 11-0 this season when the opponent makes less than 25 percent.
• Kentucky had balanced scoring with nine players hitting the scoring column, eight of whom scored at least five points.
• The leading scorers, Ansley Almonor and Otega Oweh, had 13 points. The 13 points is the lowest high scorer in a game for UK this season. The previous “low” high scorer was Andrew Carr’s 14 points in the win over Brown.
• Kentucky made 50 percent from the field, 26 of 52. The Wildcats are 11-1 this season making at least half their shots. It was the first time UK has shot 50% or ter from the field in both regular-season meetings with Tennessee for the first time since 2008-09
• Kentucky made 50 percent from long range, 12 of 24. The Wildcats are 4-0 this season when making at least half of their 3-point tries.
• UK is 7-0 this season when making at least 12 triples.
• With Jaxson Robinson and Kerr Kriisa out, UK has played only seven games this season at full strength.
Kentucky Basketball Chapter XXIII: The Pope Era
Coaches around the country and the SEC likely heard the tune of Taylor Swift’s “I knew you were trouble when you walked in …” the moment Mark Pope stepped off the bus carrying him alongside more than 50 other UK men’s basketball alumni on April 14, 2024. It was the date of his introduction as the 23rd men’s basketball coach of the most storied program in college basketball in front of a filled Rupp Arena. And he’s in fact, been nothing but trouble for opponents in 2024-25.
Pope has been a thorn in the side of seven Associated Press Top 15 teams thus far, including five ranked in the top 10.
• The seven wins against AP Top 15 teams in the regular season is a program record, bettering the 2002-03 team who earned six wins.
• Five of those have come against top-10 teams, which is also a program record.
• With a win over No. 6 Florida on Jan. 4, he joined Adolph Rupp as the only coaches in program history to win each of their first three matchups vs. AP Top-10 teams.
• He’s done it in dramatic fashion as well. Pope and his squad overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to outlast No. 7 Gonzaga on Dec. 7, 2024. It matched the largest halftime hole overcome in program history.
• Making the mark even more impressive, the squad has captured only one win over a top-15 team at full strength. Lamont Butler missed the Gonzaga game, and Kerr Kriisa suffered an injury during the game with the Zags and has not played since. Only the 77-72 win over No. 6 Duke on Nov. 12, 2024.
Pope is already climbing the charts among league coaches with the seven wins over AP ranked teams. A breakdown of AP Top-25 wins among coaches at their respective SEC schools who coached their first three seasons at that program, while playing in the SEC. Porter Moser (Oklahoma) and Rodney Terry (Texas) are not included because they did not start their tenure at their respective schools as a member of the SEC.
Dennis Gates (Missouri) – 10
Todd Golden (Florida) – 9
Chris Jans (Mississippi State) – 8
Nate Oats (Alabama) – 8
Mark Pope (Kentucky) – 7
Rick Barnes (Tennessee) – 6
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