The Kentucky vs Arkansas basketball game was another SEC upset for the Razorbacks.
The Kentucky vs Arkansas basketball game was a home game for the Razorbacks and would be a test for the Wildcats. Based on their prior performances against top rated teams, UK would be entering a hostile environment which has knocked off some of the top programs in the country, including Auburn.
Moreover, the Cats certainly would not be a full strength again, a trend that has been somewhat common all season. On a brighter note from the previous game however, they would have Wheeler and Washington Jr. return, albeit coming off of the bench. Davion Mintz and Kellan Grady would be the starting guards for this game, but they had yet to lose a game in their adjusted roles before entering Fayetteville, AR.
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Game Final Score
TheKentucky vs Arkansas basketball final score was 66-71.
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Recap
UK came into Fayetteville, AR as the No. 6 ranked team in the country after coming off a win against LSU at home. This was always expected to be a tough environment to enter after what the Razorbacks have accomplished at home this season.
With an adjusted lineup, the starters for this game would include Davion Mintz, Kellan Grady, Jacob Toppin, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe. This would be the third game in a row that featured this starting lineup, which had gone undefeated thus far. Nonetheless,Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington Jr. would sub into the game at the 16:52 mark and log significant minutes.
Kentucky got off to an extremely cold start, allowing Arkansas to jump out to a 15-2 lead. The Razorbacks would maintain control for the remainder of the first half. The Wildcats were trailing by 13 points and four minutes remaining, then UK went on a 9-2 run to start chipping away at the deficit. This would close the first half with a score of 34-28, giving Arkansas a slight edge going into halftime. Tshiebwe scored the first basket for UK and went on to led the Cats with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the opening period, cementing another double-double performance.
Looking for more offense coming out of the half, Kentucky began the second period with Wheeler, Washington, Grady, Brooks and Tshiebwe. This has been their more typical starting five. A fast-break scenario at the 14:53 mark would have Keion Brooks Jr. giving Kentucky their first lead since the score was 2-0. For the remainder of the game, neither team would lead by more than 5 points. Nonetheless, Kentucky gave up a couple of key opportunities in the closing minutes and allowed the game to slip out of their reach.
Oscar Tshiebwe lead the Kentucky Wildcat basketball team with 30 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, and a steal. This marks his 23rd double-double of the season, ranking second in the country for this individual statistic. It is also third-most in a single college basketball season in University of Kentucky history. He still leads the nation in rebounding as well, as is climbing the ranks for UK’s single-season record. He’s currently fourth place all-time, with 2 regular season games and and at least a couple tournament games remaining.
The Wildcats shot 30-of-66 from the floor, and 4-of-15 from behind the arch. That equals 45.5% from the field shooting, and26.7% from behind the three point line. The Cats did not shoot the ball extremely well from the charity stripe, going 9-13 at 69.2%.
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Kentucky moves to 23-6 on the season, and 12-4 in the Southeastern Conference standings, while Arkansas is 23-6 and also 12-4 in the South Eastern Conference. These teams are now tied for second place in the SEC standings.
Box Score
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Highlights Video:
Full Game Replay
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