KSR Today: Kentucky Ends the Regular Season with a 2-0 Week
Kentucky went to Mizzou Arena and led by double digits for most of the game. It was a stunningly spectacular performance. For the eighth time, Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats beat a Top 15 team, tying the all-time record set by Duke in 1979 and Indiana in 1993. And yet, it was the first time in SEC play that Kentucky fans got to enjoy a 2-0 week.
The rigors of SEC play prevented Kentucky, and most teams around the league, from picking up steam and rattling off a lengthy win streak. There were a couple of instances where Kentucky won on a Saturday, then the following Tuesday, but they never could keep a clean sheet until the final week of the regular season. The Cats are clicking at the right time.
“Playing intense and just going out there and hooping; that’s what got us here,” Otega Oweh said after the win. “We just have to try and obviously embrace that we’re at Kentucky, but then remember what got us here, and it’s that chip, and that intensity. So this is really us.”
Top Performers in the Win
It took more than 10 minutes for Kentucky to hit a two-point bucket at Missouri. Fortunately, that bucket was an Otega Oweh (22 points) dunk that capped off an 11-0 run, thanks to excellent three-point shooting. The Cats knocked down seven three balls in the first half, en route to an 11-20 outing.
Kentucky kept Missouri at arm’s length for most of the second half, but the 15th-ranked Tigers weren’t going down without a fight. They got within six points after the final media timeout. That’s when Andrew Carr grabbed one of his 12 rebounds and slammed it home to take momentum for good. Carr had 16 points in what Mark Pope described as a “Herculean effort.”
You cannot downplay the significance of the freshmen, either. Travis Perry and Trent Noah each sank a three, while Collin Chandler knocked down a pair, including a long ball right before halftime. This version of Chandler looks like an X-factor that will play a significant role in a postseason win.
SEC Tournament Bracket is Set
The Wildcats’ win in CoMo gave Kentucky an opportunity to climb the ladder from No. 8 all the way to No. 6 seed. Instead of playing the first game on Thursday, they will be playing the final game on Thursday night against the winner of Georgia-Oklahoma. Take an early look at the Cats’ potential opponents.
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Most Postgame Coverage from the Kentucky Win
Kentucky Survived the SEC Regular Season Gauntlet, now it’s time to earn the reward
The UK Freshman Played Beyond their Years at Missouri
Otega Oweh says Kentucky is hitting its stride at the right time
Pope, Brea, Carr Recap the Win
Brea had a Message for Missouri fans
Coaches and Players Celebrate with Fans at Missouri
Amari Williams records career rebound 1,000
Kentucky moves up in Bracketology
Box Score: Scoring Balance Edges Out Missouri
Highlights from an Impressive Kentucky Win
How Butler and Carr Celebrated the Kentucky Win
Who doesn’t love a little bull-riding after an SEC beatdown?
Kentucky Kept the Hottest Win Streak in Sports Alive
Friend of the program Dan Katz, who is better known as Big Cat, put the ultimate heater to the test in Columbia. Somehow, some way, entering the Saturday slate, Big Cat had not lost a bet in the month of March, a perfect 14-0. He tried to extend that win streak by placing a wager on Kentucky and Missouri to go over 170.5 points.
Top 10
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Baseball Top 25
Predicting another shakeup
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Big Ten Tournament
Bracket set for Big Ten men's hoops
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AP Poll Projection
Predicting the Top 25
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Tempers flare
Michigan, Mich. State get heated
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Bracketology update
Field of 68 is coming into view
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The two teams combined for 67 points at half. The over looked DEAD. To keep the streak alive, Big Cat needed 104 second half points. With two of the five best offenses in the country sharing the court, it was always plausible, but the game was even close enough to get into a late-game foul-fest. It didn’t matter. The Cats and the Tigers combined for 30 points in the final two minutes to score 107 in the second half, finishing the game with a total of 174. What a win.
You Could Use a HS Buzzer-Beater
The Regional Tournaments are producing drama across the Commonwealth. My buddy Scoots had a front-row seat for one of them. “You gotta be kidding me!” Butler and PRP have the most contentious rivalry in the Sixth Region. Butler handed PRP the L with a prayer. Check out all of the angles of the crazy game-winning shot that sent the Bears to the Sixth Region Final.
Kentucky Baseball and Softball at Home
It looks like we might have ourselves a beautiful day on deck in Lexington, KY. No plans? Spend it with the Kentucky baseball or the Kentucky softball team.
Rachel Lawson’s Cats are looking for a sweep in the SEC opener at John Cropp Stadium, taking down Missouri 6-4 and 5-4 to start the weekend. They’ll wrap it up this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. EST on the SEC Network.
Nick Mingione’s Bat Cats got a run-rule win on Friday, but collapsed late on Saturday against Wofford. The series-clinching third game against the Terriers will begin at 1 p.m. inside Kentucky Proud Park.
Did You Remember to Spring Forward?
I was told we were eliminating the time changes that wreck the internal clocks of my small children and send my world spiraling for a few days. Clearly, someone was lying because we lost an hour of sleep last night. That stinks. At least the sun will be staying out a little later as we creep closer to spring.
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