For weeks, Big Blue Nation had been restless. Close losses. Late-game collapses. Turnovers at the worst possible moments. And a lingering feeling that Kentucky wasn’t playing with the edge required to survive the SEC gauntlet.
On Tuesday night, Mark Pope’s team finally answered the noise.
Kentucky’s 72-63 road win over South Carolina wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t an offensive masterpiece. But it was something BBN had been demanding since the losing streak began: toughness and composure when it mattered most.
The Wildcats entered the night having dropped three straight games, including a controversial one-point loss at Auburn that led to Pope being fined by the SEC for his postgame comments about officiating. Pressure was mounting. Fans weren’t just questioning the results — they were questioning the response.
Against South Carolina, Kentucky responded the right way.
Denzel Aberdeen stepped up in a major way, leading the team with 19 points and knocking down four three-pointers that kept momentum from swinging. When the offense stalled, Aberdeen provided calm shot-making.
Mo Dioubate gave Kentucky a second-half spark, scoring 10 of his 12 points after the break and bringing much-needed physicality off the bench. Freshman big man Malachi Moreno anchored the paint with 11 rebounds and eight points, battling for position and controlling the glass in key stretches.
And when the game tightened late, Collin Chandler delivered the knockout punch. His three-pointer with 1:51 remaining pushed the lead to seven and silenced any hopes of a South Carolina comeback.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign? Kentucky won without a big night from its star. Otega Oweh, who had been on a scoring tear, was held to just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting. Earlier in the season, that likely would have spelled disaster. Instead, it revealed growth. The Wildcats didn’t rely on one player to carry them — they leaned on each other.
The turnover issue hasn’t vanished. Kentucky committed 15 against the Gamecocks, including nine in the first half. But this time, those mistakes didn’t spiral into panic. The Wildcats defended, rebounded, and stayed composed. That’s the difference BBN had been asking for.
The victory also snapped what could have become a dangerous slide. A loss would have marked the first four-game losing streak of the Mark Pope era. Instead, Kentucky regained footing and showed signs of maturity heading into the next stretch of SEC play.
For weeks, fans had one simple demand: stop beating yourselves and start finishing games.
On Tuesday night in Columbia, Mark Pope delivered exactly that.
