A tense SEC showdown inside Neville Arena ended in controversy Saturday night as Kentucky fell to Auburn 75-74 — but the final whistle quickly became the story.
With 14 seconds left and the Wildcats clinging to a one-point lead, Colin Chandler was called for an offensive foul on an inbound play after officials ruled he pushed off Auburn’s Kevin Overton. The call gave the Tigers new life. Moments later, Elyjah Freeman secured a putback layup that sealed the win for Auburn and stunned Kentucky.
The game featured 33 combined personal fouls and heavy physical play throughout, but it was that last call that ignited frustration on Kentucky’s sideline.
During his postgame press conference, head coach Mark Pope stopped short of directly criticizing the officials — but his message was clear.
“We’re not allowed to talk about the referees, but you guys saw it,” Pope said. “We don’t make excuses. We don’t do that. Regardless of how disgraceful things are, we don’t give away our power. Regardless of how embarrassing, personal, awful, unacceptable things are.
However, it was what Pope said after leaving the podium that sent shockwaves across college basketball.
“Mitch, if those [expletive] try to fine me, they can’t. I didn’t say a word about how they cheated us,” Pope said in the hallway — a comment that quickly circulated among media and fans.
On the other side, Auburn coach Steven Pearl viewed the decisive moment differently.
“Kevin Overton’s in a stance, and his back’s to me, so I didn’t see the play,” Pearl said. “But it looked like he extended his arms, and we got the offensive foul. We were able to get the ball back and did a great job getting an inside touch for an opportunity at an offensive rebound.
Pearl acknowledged the game’s physical tone from the start.
“I thought there was a foul on every possession early,” he added. “If everything was called, both teams would’ve shot 50 free throws. There was a lot of contact both ways. It works both ways.”
Both teams shot over 80 percent from the free-throw line. Auburn struggled finishing at the rim, going 9-of-26 on layup attempts, but capitalized when it mattered most to snap a five-game losing streak.
The loss drops Kentucky to 17-10 overall and 8-6 in SEC play as they turn their focus to South Carolina. Meanwhile, Auburn improves to 15-12 (6-8 SEC) and heads to Oklahoma next.
But long after the buzzer, the debate over that final whistle — and Pope’s fiery response — continues to dominate the conversation.
