Kentucky kept its SEC Tournament run alive on Thursday, but it certainly wasn’t easy. The Wildcats defeated Missouri 78–72 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, though the game took a dramatic turn late that had Big Blue Nation holding its breath until the final seconds.
For much of the afternoon, Kentucky looked firmly in control. The Wildcats entered halftime with a 38–29 lead and quickly built on it after the break. Collin Chandler opened the second half with a three-pointer, and Kentucky followed it with two steals that turned into quick points, stretching the lead to 45–31.
The momentum continued when Otega Oweh knocked down a three and Chandler added three free throws after being fouled behind the arc, pushing Kentucky ahead 53–37. At that point, the Wildcats appeared ready to cruise to victory.
But Missouri had other plans.
The Tigers suddenly caught fire offensively, making 11 of their next 14 shots to erase most of the deficit. What had once been a comfortable Kentucky lead quickly shrank, and Missouri trimmed the score to 60–55 with nearly 10 minutes left to play.
The pressure kept building as Missouri continued attacking the basket and eventually cut the margin to just three points. Kentucky briefly steadied itself when Chandler hit a clutch three-pointer with the shot clock winding down, giving the Wildcats a 63–57 lead.
Still, Missouri refused to go away.
Behind a huge second-half performance from Mark Mitchell, the Tigers kept pushing. Mitchell scored in bunches during a late stretch and eventually gave Missouri its first lead since early in the game, hitting a basket with 2:34 remaining to put the Tigers ahead 70–69.
That moment created the late-game tension that had Kentucky fans on edge.
Fortunately for the Wildcats, they responded immediately. Denzel Aberdeen calmly knocked down two free throws to put Kentucky back in front, and moments later Oweh attacked the rim for a tough driving layup that extended the lead to 73–70.
Aberdeen delivered the final blow with just 22 seconds remaining. After initially looking for a foul on a three-point attempt, he noticed a wide-open lane and drove straight to the basket, finishing a layup that pushed Kentucky’s lead to 75–70 and effectively sealed the win.
“I saw Mark Mitchell closing out,” Aberdeen said after the game. “I thought about leaning into him to draw a foul from three, but he jumped to the side. I saw the lane open up, so I took it and finished.”
Oweh led the Wildcats with 21 points, while Aberdeen turned in a strong all-around performance with 16 points and seven assists, committing only one turnover. Chandler also played a major role, scoring 15 points on an efficient 5-of-6 shooting night.
Mitchell led all scorers for Missouri with 32 points, including 23 in the second half, nearly powering the Tigers all the way back from the large deficit.
Despite dealing with foul trouble among several guards early in the game, Kentucky controlled much of the first half with strong defense and aggressive scoring inside the paint. The Wildcats outscored Missouri 26–14 in the paint before halftime and forced several turnovers during a key scoring drought by the Tigers.
The victory also served as redemption for Kentucky, which lost to Missouri earlier in the season after surrendering a late lead at Rupp Arena.
Now, the Wildcats move on to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, where they will face top-seeded Florida. The matchup could significantly impact Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament seeding, as the Wildcats were projected around a No. 7 seed before Thursday’s game.
Tip-off between Kentucky and Florida is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Friday, with Kentucky hoping to keep its postseason momentum alive.
