Skip to main content

Kentucky crumbles to close out first half, trails Vanderbilt 41-27

Jack PIlgrimby:Jack Pilgrim01/25/25
© Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
© Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I’m not sure we’ve seen Kentucky play worse in a single half this season — Gonzaga the only matchup with a greater deficit (16), and that was a top-10 matchup over 2,400 miles away from home. Vanderbilt has overmatched the Wildcats in every way imaginable, using a 20-4 run to take a 41-27 lead going into halftime.

Starting off as a back-and-forth scoring battle where the two traded baskets with no fouls called through ten minutes, Mark Pope’s group absolutely crumbled down the stretch, a disaster defensively while turning the ball over 10 times — eight coming between the 9:26 and :31 marks. As a team, the Cats are shooting just 37.9 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three with Brandon Garrison (6), Jaxson Robinson (6) and Otega Oweh (4) the only players with multiple buckets.

Vanderbilt, however, is shooting 44.7 percent overall and 38.9 percent from three with seven makes from deep — a team that only averages 8.3 makes per game. Commodore star Jason Edwards leads the way with 12 points on 5-7 shooting and 2-2 from deep.

Nothing more to say. 20 minutes to get it right or it’s going to be a long, ugly bus ride home to Lexington.

Discuss This Article

Comments have moved.

Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.

KSBoard

2025-01-26