Slow starts have been a constant source of frustration for Kentucky fans all season, often forcing the Wildcats to spend entire games digging out of early holes. On Wednesday night at Rupp Arena, that familiar script finally changed.
From the opening tip, Kentucky matched Texas with energy and focus, refusing to allow the Longhorns to seize early momentum. The result was an 85–80 victory that felt different — not because of late-game heroics, but because the Wildcats never had to play catch-up.
The game was tight throughout, featuring 11 ties and 11 lead changes. Texas never led by more than three points, while Kentucky controlled the scoreboard for nearly 29 minutes of game action.
Kentucky set the tone early with improved defensive intensity, holding a 7–6 lead at the first media timeout. After a brief offensive lull allowed Texas to edge ahead, Otega Oweh responded with back-to-back baskets to put the Wildcats back in front, 14–13. Neither team could create separation in the first half. Kentucky briefly stretched its lead to five before a 7–0 Texas run swung momentum back to the Longhorns, sending the game into halftime tied 40–40.
Denzel Aberdeen and Oweh led the Wildcats offensively in the first half with 10 points apiece, while Andrija Jelavic controlled the glass with five rebounds through the opening 20 minutes.
Kentucky came out of the locker room with urgency, opening the second half on an 8–0 run. Questionable foul calls stalled the surge, allowing Texas to pull back within three after the first media timeout. Moments later, a flagrant foul against the Longhorns ignited Rupp Arena and sparked a decisive 13–4 Kentucky run that pushed Kentucky’s lead to 70–60.
Texas made one final push, but Collin Chandler took over, scoring 14 of Kentucky’s next 15 points during a dominant four-minute stretch that appeared to put the game away.
The Longhorns weren’t finished, cutting a 10-point deficit to just two with 56 seconds remaining. When Texas was forced to foul, Aberdeen calmly knocked down five clutch free throws to seal the 85–80 win.
Aberdeen finished with a team-high 19 points, while Oweh and Chandler added 18 each. Malachi Moreno contributed eight points and a team-best six assists, and Jelavic led the Wildcats with seven rebounds.
Kentucky returns to action Saturday at Rupp Arena when Ole Miss visits for a noon tipoff.
