Stop me if you have read this before: Kentucky spots another team a 10-point lead at halftime.
We talked about it before the game, Otega Oweh talked about it, and Andrija Jelavic was puzzled by it. And yet, it happened again. On the road against a vulnerable Tennessee team, the Cats found themselves down 17 before scratching back to make it an 11-point game at halftime. Could they reel them back in?
Kentucky's poor pick-and-roll defense kept showing up time and time again.
Tennessee's entire offense seemed to be Nate Ament or Ja'Kobi Gillespie getting a screen, or rejecting one, getting into the paint, and finding an easy look.
Like in Baton Rouge, Kentucky refused to fold
Rebounding was also a major factor, the one area we thought would be the ultimate difference-maker. With Kentucky down three with three minutes to go, Tennessee grabbed three straight offensive rebounds. Luckily for the Cats, the Vols could not convert, giving Kentucky the ball with a chance to tie it up.
They didn't tie it, but they did cut the deficit to just one with 1:20 to go.
Foul trouble was also a problem, as Kentucky simply couldn't play clean defense. Gillespie got into the lane again, and Oweh bit on a ball fake, putting an 87-percent shooter on the line for two. He missed the first, opening the door for the Cats to somehow tie it up after the opening minutes looked like a blowout, but he made the second.
Kentucky's offensive set with 1:17 to go came after Pope called a timeout. It didn't look like a lot with Oweh going to the paint and pulling up for a 17-footer jump shot that didn't draw iron. But Ament fouled him, sending him to the line with a chance to tie. Oweh was made 1 of 2 to close the lead back to 1 with 49 seconds to go. And a huge defensive play from Collin Chandler had a go big blue chant break out.
He found Oweh streaking to the rim, he made it, and he was fouled. He missed the free throw again; however, an offensive rebound led to a Denzel Aberdeen floater, which he converted to put the Cats up 3 with 13 to go.
Tennessee got an open look from 3 but couldn't convert, on a scramble offensive rebound Dioubate fouled out after Gillespie came away with it. The Vols have 2.6 seconds and a good free throw shooter on the line.
He calmly made the first. Rick Barnes called a timeout, and Tennessee missed on purpose. Jaylen Carey got the rebound, but Kentucky got a block to end the game.
We have seen this before. Denzel Aberdeen was outstanding offensively today. 7-11 shooting with 22 points. On a day when Oweh and Dioubate combined for 7 of 22, Jasper Johnson stepped up as a freshman on the road, giving Kentucky big minutes with 12 points.
If this team could just figure out the first half, they may be special. Even so, 3 straight in the SEC with 2 on the road, not a bad start.