Otega Oweh made the plays that mattered most, scoring 21 points and making key defensive stops to carry Kentucky past Missouri, 78-72, in the SEC Tournament second round on Thursday.
The ninth-seeded Wildcats (21-12) got major contributions from Denzel Aberdeen, who added 16 points and seven assists, and Collin Chandler, who finished with 15 points and three steals. Together, they weathered a massive 32-point, seven-rebound performance from Missouri’s Mark Mitchell.
Missouri briefly erased a 16-point Kentucky lead in the second half, fueled by Mitchell’s 23 points after halftime. But Aberdeen’s two clutch free throws with just over two minutes left put Kentucky ahead for good.
Oweh’s impact went beyond scoring. Late in the game, after T.O. Barrett missed a corner three, Oweh drove for a layup to push the lead to three with 1:13 left. Moments later, he stripped Mitchell in the paint, setting up Aberdeen’s contested layup with 22.5 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
Kentucky had built an early advantage thanks to Chandler’s free throws and dominance in the paint, taking a 53-37 lead with 14:33 left in the second half. Missouri tried to close the gap, cutting it to 58-53, but Kentucky held strong. At halftime, the Wildcats led 38-29 after outscoring Missouri 26-14 in the paint.
Key moments in the first half included Kam Williams hitting a long three against the zone, and Oweh scoring off a steal to give Kentucky its first double-digit lead at 33-22.
With the win, Kentucky advances to face top-seeded Florida in Friday’s quarterfinals. Missouri is likely headed to the NCAA Tournament, possibly as a No. 11 seed in a First Four matchup in Dayton.
