Game recap: Knox steps up late to help Kentucky basketball defeat Vandy
By Drew Koch
Kevin Knox stepped up his game late and the Kentucky basketball team survived against Vanderbilt 74-67.
The No. 21 Kentucky basketball team survived a late push by the Commodores. Kevin Knox played well late in the game and helped will the Kentucky Wildcats to a 74-67 victory over Vanderbilt. Knox finished the game with 17 points and scored 9 of UK’s final 16 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Cats with 22. Kentucky had 4 players score in double figures.
First half
Quade Green was out again for UK, meaning Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got his second straight start. Gilgeous-Alexander had 10 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds in the first half.
The Kentucky basketball team did a great job defending the three-point shot early. Vanderbilt, who shoots more three-pointers than any team in the SEC, was 1-of-11 early in the first half. The Commodores were held to 27% overall in the half. Vanderbilt was led in scoring by Matthew Fischer-Davis who scored 5 of his 7 points from the charity stripe.
The Kentucky basketball team ratcheted up its defense late in the half. The Cats forced a shot clock violation and back-to-back blocks by Kentucky at the rim. Wenyen Gabriel swatted away a fast-break layup attempt and Sacha Killeya-Jones sent back a turnaround hook shot in the lane. Kentucky finished the half on 9-2 run, capped off by a Killeya-Jones putback off a PJ Washington missed free throw. The Cats led the Commodores at halftime 36-27.
Second half
The Commodores came out of the locker room firing and finally got another shots to go in from downtown. Saben Lee knocked down a perimeter jumper, then Jeff Roberson and Payton Willis got into the action and cut the Kentucky lead to 2. Wenyen Gabriel then made a difficult shot in traffic and Kevin Knox took a steal all the way to the rim for a thunderous slam dunk. At that point, the Cats led 54-48.
Nick Richards logged about 4 seconds of playing time in the second half before Cal yanked him in favor of Killeya-Jones. Richards missed a box out after a free throw and allowed Vandy to snag the offensive rebound.
Vanderbilt closed the gap and eventually took a one-point lead. The lead was short-lived after PJ Washington flushed through a two-handed slam that gave UK a 57-56 lead with 7:33 left in regulation.
The game was tied at 59 and then Knox put through a difficult floater in the lane. He was fouled on the play and converted the free throw, giving the Cats a 62-59 lead. Knox then received a beautiful pass from Gabriel on Kentucky’s next possession and put in an easy layup.
Gabriel’s putback and Hamidou Diallo‘s three-pointer late gave the Kentucky basketball team some breathing room late. However, a missed free throw and careless ball handling allowed Vandy opportunities late. Thankfully for the Cats, Riley LaChance missed 3 straight free throws, Kentucky made enough of their own late and the Wildcats survived.