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Fan throws beer can at Kentucky players leaving court after Oklahoma victory

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•about 10 hours•

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Kentucky basketball logo
© Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

After Kentucky defeated Oklahoma at the Lloyd Noble Center, a fan threw a beer can at UK players leaving the court. The can came close to hitting Wildcats center Brandon Garrison.

Otega Oweh hit the game-winning shot to give the Wildcats a thrilling 83-82 victory on the road. Fireworks ensued afterward, though, and the two teams ended up calling off the handshake line after the buzzer sounded.

Then, as Kentucky headed to the locker room, the Wildcats got ready to celebrate the win. That’s when the beer can came down from the stands toward the players.

Jalon Moore drained the go-ahead free throw with 20 seconds left to give Oklahoma an 82-81 lead. Kentucky didn’t have any timeouts as the ‘Cats had to go the length of the floor, and Oweh got the ball with 10 seconds to go. He drove to the hoop and got the layup off as he was falling backward, giving Kentucky the 83-82 lead.

Jeremiah Fears got one final shot off for Oklahoma, but Garrison was there to make the block. UK held on to get a key road victory to improve to 19-9 overall and 8-7 in SEC play.

For Oweh, it was quite the moment as he capped off a 28-point performance. He’s spent two years under Porter Moser at Oklahoma before entering the transfer portal and committing to UK under Mark Pope.

Through his first year in Lexington, Oweh is emerging as the straw that stirs the drink for the ‘Cats. He entered Wednesday’s game leading Kentucky with 15.7 points and 1.5 steals per game while also averaging 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

“I’m excited just to get back out there, be on the court again, have a chance to respond,” Oweh told reporters Tuesday, via KSR’s Zack Geoghegan. “I was there two years. It’s gonna be a nice feeling to have my family there too.”

Wednesday’s game marked the start of the final sprint toward the SEC Tournament and March Madness. Kentucky entered the matchup as a projected No. 3 seed in On3’s James Fletcher III’s latest Bracketology, while Oklahoma was a No. 10 seed. The bubble is sure to continue to shift in the lead-up to Selection Sunday March 16.

Kentucky will face a big test on Saturday when the Wildcats take on Auburn at Rupp Arena. Oklahoma, meanwhile, will head to Ole Miss as it tries to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume.