They were left for dead after Vanderbilt. They were told they were soft. They were told they couldn't handle the physical Razorbacks. But on Saturday night in Fayetteville, Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats didn't just show up; they grew up. In a game that featured one of the most bizarre officiating sequences in SEC history, Kentucky went into the toughest environment in the league and punched Arkansas in the mouth, escaping with a massive victory and snapping the Razorbacks' 17-game home winning streak.
The new Kentucky
Whatever Mark Pope did in practice this week worked. This wasn't the timid team we saw in Nashville. Instead of waiting to get hit, Kentucky threw the first haymaker.
Playing with a level of purpose and violence we haven't seen in weeks, the Cats built a 13-point lead in the first half and took a 42-35 advantage into the locker room. It was a complete reversal of the slow starts that have plagued this group all season.
Surviving the ref show
Of course, Arkansas was always going to make a run. But they didn't do it alone.
With Kentucky leading 51-46 in the second half, the game was nearly hijacked by the officiating crew. In a span of just 39 seconds, Kentucky was hit with three technical fouls:
- Brandon Garrison: Stood over Darius Acuff (Deserved).
- Mo Dioubate: Flexed at a camera with no Arkansas player within 10 feet (One of the worst calls I have ever seen).
- Mark Pope: Defending his team against the absurdity (Justified).
That sequence erased Kentucky's lead and handed all the momentum to the home team. In any other game this season, Kentucky folds right there.
The Kentucky response
But not tonight. Instead of crumbling, Kentucky powered through. They stopped settling for jumpers and started attacking the rim, forcing the officials to blow the whistle on the other end. Remarkbaly after the technical foul disaster, Kentucky actually finished the game shooting more free throws than the Razorbacks, 30-26. Neither team shot it well from the line, though, Kentucky 19-30, and Arkansas 16-26.
The closing act
When the game got tight, it was the Kentucky kid that Cal refused to recruit who helped save the day.
Trent Noah played the best basketball of his season, finishing with 9 points and 7 rebounds. He was instrumental in keeping the offense calm when the building was shaking.
With just under two minutes to go, Kentucky led by 8. After a tough Otega Oweh turnover allowed Darius Acuff to cut the lead to 6, the pressure was at an all-time high. With 1:21 remaining, Noah got trapped on the baseline, and Pope was forced to burn his final timeout.
The Cats never faltered again, calmly disposing of the Razorbacks 85-77. That one felt good.