FINAL: Kentucky's second-half run powers 'Cats past Georgia 92-77

Kentucky needed an easy win to get back on track after injuries plagued the ‘Cats against LSU earlier this week. And who better to face when in need of a feel-good victory than the Georgia Bulldogs?

Despite a close contest at the intermission, No. 16 Kentucky (12-3) blew the doors open in the second half, outscoring Georgia (5-10) by 12 points en route to a 92-77 win inside of Rupp Arena on Saturday night. It was an especially magical night for freshman guard TyTy Washington, who set a new program record in assists with 17 to go along with his 17 points, five rebounds, and just two turnovers. He broke John Wall’s previous record of 16.

SEVENTEEN AND THE SCHOOL RECORD

17 AST for @tytywashington3 breaks @JohnWall’s record. pic.twitter.com/W5gKhgcQZ2

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 9, 2022

Out of the gate, Georgia would strike first, jumping out to a quick 7-2 lead in the opening minutes. Kentucky would need some time to get into the flow of its offense without starting point guard Sahvir Wheeler, who is day-to-day with a neck injury. But once they did, the scoring didn’t slow down.

Kentucky would tie the game up at 15 around the 12-minute mark before taking a five-point lead shortly after. The offense kept clicking, but the Wildcat defense couldn’t keep up. Georgia always had an answer to any UK basket.

The two sides would continue to trade shots down the stretch of the first half, with neither team going ahead by more than five. Kentucky eventually trailed by two with roughly four minutes left before taking the lead right back before halftime, 40-37.

The second half, however, was not nearly as close.

Georgia did its best to keep the game close but Kentucky’s overall talent level quickly became too much for the Bulldogs. UK would establish a double-digit lead by the first media timeout before running away with the victory. The ‘Cats outscored Georgia by 12 over the final 20 minutes to seal its second SEC win of the season.

Along with Washington’s record-setting evening, Kentucky saw three other Wildcats reach double-figures in scoring. Oscar Tshiebwe dropped an incredible All-American statline of 29 points and 17 rebounds on 13-21 shooting. Davion Mintz set a new season-high with 19 points on 7-10 shooting (5-7 from beyond the arc) while Keion Brooks Jr. added 14 points on 6-8 shooting.

As a team, Kentucky shot 57 percent from the floor and 6-15 from distance while outrebounding Georgia 31-25. The Bulldogs turned the ball over 13 times compared to just seven for UK.