It was déjà vu for Kentucky — and this time, in the most thrilling way possible.
After rallying from an 18-point second-half deficit against LSU earlier this week, the Wildcats staged yet another miraculous comeback, erasing a 17-point first-half hole to edge Tennessee 80-78 in Knoxville. Kentucky trailed by 11 at halftime and held the lead for just 34 seconds — all coming in the final moments as the ‘Cats chipped away at the Volunteer advantage.
Denzel Aberdeen led Kentucky with 22 points, while Otega Oweh, Collin Chandler, and Jasper Johnson each added 12. Mo Dioubate contributed 10 points and six rebounds before fouling out in the closing minutes. Tennessee, meanwhile, couldn’t hit a field goal in the final 5:38 of play.
Both teams shot 47% from the field and over 40% from three-point range. Tennessee dominated the offensive glass early, but Kentucky’s fight in the second half proved decisive. Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament combined for 41 points for the Volunteers, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the surge from the Wildcats.
Kentucky’s slow starts continued to be a theme. Aberdeen picked up two early fouls, and Tennessee made three of its first four threes to jump out to a 14-8 lead. The Vols extended that lead to 20-8 before Jasper Johnson began keeping the ‘Cats in the game, scoring eight points to cut the gap to 22-16.
Despite Johnson’s efforts, Kentucky hit a rough patch, allowing Tennessee to stretch the lead to 17 points. By halftime, the Volunteers were ahead 42-31, capitalizing on eight Kentucky turnovers and an 8-1 advantage on the offensive boards.
But Mark Pope’s halftime speech sparked a furious second-half charge. Aberdeen’s early threes helped Kentucky chip away at the lead, and Chandler’s three-pointer brought the deficit down to just four at 55-51. By the under-eight-minute mark, Malachi Moreno’s and-one off a Johnson assist had the Wildcats trailing by only two.
Dioubate cut the lead to one with 90 seconds remaining. After a series of crucial possessions — including Chandler’s game-changing steal — Aberdeen worked the shot clock down before hitting a layup to give Kentucky an 80-77 lead with 13 seconds left. Tennessee’s last-second attempts fell short, sealing the Wildcats’ nerve-wracking road win.
Kentucky may continue to test fans’ nerves with slow starts, but when the second half begins, this team proves it can come alive when it matters most.
