BATON ROUGE, La (BBN TONIGHT) — Kentucky entered Baton Rouge without a healthy Tre Mitchell (shoulder injury), and a lackluster second-half performance. The Men's Basketball team now sits 8-5 in the SEC, and 18-8 overall.
It was a slow first half offensively for the Wildcats, shooting 47% with seven turnovers. Yet, it proved to be a continued progression on the defensive side of the ball - holding the Tigers to 27 points and 39% from the field.
Ugonna Onyenso started the game with a fast-break layup, and Adou Thiero followed with a dunk of his own, but the Tigers would soon respond with a run to tie the game at 17:11. LSU would remain within an arm's distance.
Fast-break @OnyensoUgonna SLAM to get us started. pic.twitter.com/9c8ASyGI2G
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) February 22, 2024
Antonio Reeves would do his best to create space for the Cats, scoring 11 early. Kentucky would hit a two-plus minute scoring drought before Thiero would crash through the lane to bring the Cats within one. UK would then go on a 10-0 run spearheaded by Reed Sheppard and Reeves.
Kentucky went into halftime up, 36-27.
.@ToniooReeves up to 14 first-half points. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/6zQSF5Z5hQ
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) February 22, 2024
Out of the second half, Edwards hit a corner three, soon followed by a Reeves 3-piece. LSU would go on an unanswered tear of 11 points, 44-42. Kentucky was still up by two with 16:12 left in the game.
The Cats would keep a narrow lead until the 12:19 mark, where LSU would take over 52-49.
Reeves would score his 1,000th point as a Wildcat on the free throw line to bring UK within one with 8:36 left in the game. But the Tigers would remain in control as the defensive effort fell in the second.
Rob Dillingham drove through two defenders with contact to bring Kentucky back within one 73-72 with 53 seconds left.
ROB IS GETTING SHIFTY pic.twitter.com/RYbT1XUGTF
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) February 22, 2024
In the final seconds, Dillingham put up a jumper to put UK up, 74-73. LSU would make their layup right before the final buzzer.
Kentucky committed 13 turnovers for the game, six in the second half. The Tigers led on the boards, 38-30.
The Wildcats return home for Saturday's 4 p.m. game against Alabama on CBS Sports.
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