Kentucky turned a tight contest into a dominant second-half performance, defeating No. 22 St. John’s 78–66 Saturday in Atlanta. The game was historic on multiple levels: Rick Pitino faced his former program for the first time since 2016, and Jayden Quaintance made his long-awaited debut for the Wildcats.
Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 20 points, but the real story was the Wildcats’ defensive lockdown in the second half. After St. John’s (7–4) held a 41–33 lead with 16:07 remaining, Kentucky (8–4) went on a 14–0 run, holding the Red Storm without a made field goal for nearly nine minutes.
Oziyah Sellers finally ended the drought with 7:10 left, but the Wildcats had already built a double-digit lead they would not relinquish. It was Kentucky’s most complete showing of an inconsistent season, a performance that reminded fans of the program’s powerhouse pedigree despite falling out of the AP Top 25 earlier this year.
Pitino, who coached Kentucky for eight seasons and won the 1996 national championship, faced his former school and Mark Pope — the captain of that title team — on the opposite sideline.
But all eyes were on Quaintance. The highly touted transfer, returning nine months after a knee ligament tear, drew roaring cheers from the “Cat-Lanta” crowd when he checked in. He made an immediate impact: banking in his first shot, swatting an attempt from Sellers, and scoring a key putback that helped turn the game in Kentucky’s favor.
Quaintance finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks.
St. John’s struggled offensively, shooting just 33% from the field, with Bryce Hopkins leading the Red Storm with 13 points.
The Red Storm will host Harvard on Tuesday, while Kentucky returns home to face Bellarmine, carrying momentum and renewed confidence into the next stretch of the season.
