Injuries Halt Kentucky's Hot Start in 81-70 Loss to Auburn

Kentucky put Auburn on its heels early, then nothing went the Wildcats’ way. TyTy Washington and Sahvir Wheeler each missed significant time with injuries, putting UK in a hole they could not dig out of in a raucous Auburn Arena. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers defeated Kentucky 81-70, their fourth victory in the series’ last six meetings, dating back to the 2019 Elite Eight.

Hot Start for Kentucky

Oscar Tshiebwe set the tone as soon as the ball was tipped. The big man slammed one home on the first possession. ‘The Jungle’ went wild following an Auburn three. A few moments later you could hear a pin drop as the Wildcats went on a 13-0 run. Kentucky held the lead for the rest of the first half, punctuated by a 360-slam from Jacob Toppin.

SPINNIN' RIGHT AT YA @KentuckyMBB pic.twitter.com/tSwfH5rO4P

— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) January 22, 2022

Down Goes TyTy Washington

Even though Kentucky never relinquished the lead, it shrunk to only four by halftime, in part thanks to TyTy Washington’s absence. The freshman guard hit a beautiful teardrop shot to extend the UK lead to 25-16 with 8:21 remaining on the clock in the first half. As he returned to the floor, he landed awkwardly on his left ankle.

Reported as a sprain, Washington did not return to the game. The offense was not the same without him. Auburn forced a handful of UK shot clock violations as they looked for answers without their freshman phenom.

UK Before TyTy Washington's Injury: +9
UK After TyTy Washington's Injury: -18

— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) January 22, 2022

Another Hard Screen on Wheeler

The Wildcats were on the ropes. Auburn appeared to be running away with the game after a 7-0 second half run. Thankfully, Wheeler stepped up. The UK point guard scored five consecutive points to even things out, until history repeated itself.

In almost an identical play to the one at LSU that sidelined him for more than two games, Oscar Tshiebwe’s man blindsided Wheeler with a hard, albeit legal screen. Wendell Greene hit a three while the UK point guard was on the ground.

Luckily, the whiplash to Wheeler’s neck was not too unbearable for him to return. However, while he was being evaluated by the medical staff, Auburn went on a 9-0 run to build up a double-digit lead, one too large for Kentucky to overcome.

One Final Push by Kentucky

Even though UK appeared dead in the water, the Wildcats did not give up. Tshiebwe turned a few broken possessions into points to give Calipari’s team some life. Davion Mintz completed an ‘and one’ out of the final media timeout to get the game within seven. An Auburn loose ball turned into a Grady three that cut the deficit to four.

Then, Jabari Smith happened. After the Tigers corralled a long offensive rebound off a missed three, Kentucky threw two defenders at Smith, but it was not enough. The projected No. 1 overall pick still sunk a fadeaway 17-footer, two of his 14 points, to deliver a dagger.

Auburn vs. Kentucky Box Score

While limping through injuries, Wheeler was Kentucky’s leading scorer with 17 points. Tshiebwe had a double-double with 16 points and 14 boards. Walker Kessler led the way for Auburn with 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Kentucky dropped to 15-4 on the season, 5-2 in SEC play.