Before Kentucky ever stepped onto the floor Tuesday night, Mark Pope made one thing clear: turnovers would decide the game.
For this Wildcats team, that statistic has become the ultimate measuring stick
Coming into the matchup, Kentucky was undefeated in SEC play when committing 10 or fewer turnovers. When the number climbed to 11 or more, the Wildcats were just 1-6 in conference games. It’s not a coincidence — it’s a pattern.
And against South Carolina, Kentucky crossed that dangerous line again.
The Wildcats committed 15 turnovers — tying a season high — in a 72-63 victory that felt far shakier than the final score suggests. Against a better opponent, that kind of performance almost certainly would have resulted in a fourth straight loss.
Instead, Kentucky survived.
The Wildcats (18-10, 9-6 SEC) entered Columbia riding a three-game losing streak, the first of the Pope era. In those defeats, turnovers piled up: 14 at Florida, 12 against Georgia, and 13 at Auburn. Many weren’t forced errors — just rushed decisions and uncharacteristic mistakes…
“We’ve gotten sped up,” Pope said recently. “We’ve gotten out of character.”
That trend didn’t disappear Tuesday.
Kentucky often looked hurried and uncomfortable offensively. Pope repeatedly shook his head on the sideline as possessions unraveled. The Wildcats struggled to find rhythm, and too many decisions were made in traffic.
Fortunately for Kentucky, South Carolina lacked the offensive punch to capitalize.
The Gamecocks entered the game 3-13 in SEC play and ranked near the bottom of the league in multiple offensive categories. Though they started hot from beyond the arc — hitting four of their first six threes — the momentum faded quickly. South Carolina shot just 36.8% from the field and finished with 63 points.
Even with Otega Oweh held to eight points on 3-for-13 shooting — his first single-digit scoring game of the season — Kentucky had enough firepower elsewhere.
Denzel Aberdeen delivered a steady, composed performance with 19 points, five assists, and zero turnovers in nearly 37 minutes. Mouhamed Dioubate added 12 points and key defensive plays. Andrija Jelavic chipped in 11 points, capitalizing on cuts to the rim as South Carolina focused heavily on Oweh.
Kentucky also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Gamecocks 48-28. The Wildcats grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, turning them into a 14-4 edge in second-chance points — a major difference in an otherwise uneven performance.
Still, Pope wasn’t satisfied.
“We made some sticky decisions,” he said. “We were a little anxious. A little stubborn. We’ve got to protect the ball better. That number has been almost perfect in predicting whether we win or lose.
South Carolina coach Lamont Paris credited his defense for forcing Kentucky into crowded situations.
“I think most of their decisions were made in a crowd,” Paris said. “There weren’t clean, easy reads.”
That congestion disrupted Kentucky’s flow, and youth showed at times. Freshmen Andrija Jelavic, Malachi Moreno, and Jasper Johnson combined for nine turnovers, highlighting the growing pains that have surfaced throughout SEC play.
The problem is what comes next.
Kentucky’s upcoming stretch includes Vanderbilt — a team that beat the Wildcats by 25 earlier this season — plus Texas A&M and Florida, both near the top of the SEC standings. Those teams excel at forcing turnovers and converting mistakes into points.
Against that caliber of opponent, 15 turnovers won’t result in a narrow escape.
Earlier in the day, Pope was fined $25,000 and publicly reprimanded by the SEC for comments about officiating after the Auburn loss. Asked about the pressure surrounding the program, he acknowledged it never fades at Kentucky.
“There’s pressure if you’ve won three in a row,” he said. “That’s the privilege of being here.”
On Tuesday, Kentucky simply needed a win — and it got one.
But if the Wildcats don’t fix their turnover problem quickly, this hidden issue could define how their season ends.
