Otega Oweh delivered a performance Kentucky fans haven’t witnessed in more than ten years — and it came at a moment when the Wildcats were staring down a potentially season-altering loss.
Kentucky looked overwhelmed for much of the first half Wednesday night in Baton Rouge, heading into the locker room trailing LSU 38–22. The offense was stagnant, the energy was lacking, and the road environment had the Wildcats on their heels. But everything changed after halftime.
Oweh took control of the game in the second half, scoring 18 of his 21 points over the final 20 minutes. He attacked the rim, knocked down timely shots, and provided the steady offensive presence Kentucky desperately needed as it chipped away at the deficit.
The comeback was capped in dramatic fashion when Malachi Moreno buried a shot at the buzzer to secure a stunning 75–74 victory for the Wildcats. While the final basket grabbed the headlines, Oweh’s consistency throughout the second half made the comeback possible.
With his performance against LSU, Oweh has now scored at least 20 points in four consecutive SEC games — a feat no Kentucky player has accomplished since Jodie Meeks during the 2008–09 season. It’s a rare milestone that underscores just how important Oweh has become to Kentucky’s offense.
Kentucky entered the season with high expectations, but uneven results early in conference play had begun to raise concerns. A road loss at LSU could have pushed the Wildcats further off course. Instead, the resilience shown in the second half may prove to be a turning point.
As SEC play intensifies, Kentucky will need Oweh to continue producing at an All-SEC level. He’ll have the chance to extend his streak to five straight 20-point games when the Wildcats travel to Knoxville to face Tennessee — another test that could define the Wildcats’ season.
