LIVE BLOG: No. 19 Kentucky vs. LSU on Senior Night
Believe it or not, the final home game of Mark Pope’s first season at Kentucky is here. KSR’s LIVE BLOG will bring you all the sights and sounds from Rupp Arena as the No. 19 Wildcats host the LSU Tigers on Senior Night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
Kentucky needs to find its footing after the lopsided loss to No. 1 Auburn on Saturday. A vulnerable LSU team could be the perfect opponent. Even though the Tigers are just 3-13 in SEC play, the Cats can’t afford to overlook them, as a loss could have big ramifications with SEC and NCAA Tournament seeding. It will be an emotional night, with six Wildcat seniors (Ansley Almonor, Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Amari Williams, and Jaxson Robinson) saying goodbye to BBN and former Wildcat Daimion Collins returning to Rupp for the first time since transferring to LSU in 2023.
Can Kentucky take care of business heading into the final stretch? Refresh the feed below for updates and our takes on the game, from both Rupp Arena and the couch. You can also join the conversation on the KSBoard Game Thread or by texting your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
Kentucky’s seniors and Mark Pope bid farewell to BBN at Rupp Arena
03/04/2025 08:00:01 PMAfter the game was over, Kentucky’s seniors and Mark Pope took the mic to address the crowd at Rupp, thanking them for their support in this very special season.
FINAL: Kentucky 95, LSU 64
03/04/2025 07:50:37 PMKentucky needed a feel-good, get-right win and they got it, beating LSU by 31 points on Senior Night, the Cats’ biggest margin of victory in SEC play.
Everyone thought the game was over, but officials called a foul on Collin Chandler with 0.2 seconds remaining, sending LSU to the free-throw line. Mark Pope made lemonade of lemons, using the break to send the walk-ons — Walker Horn, Zach Two, and Grant Darbyshire — into the game.
Aside from that Otega Oweh led all scorers with 24 points, with three other Cats in double figures: Brandon Garrison and Ansley Almonor both with 15 points, and Collin Chandler with 11. Kentucky shot 50.7% (36-71) from the floor and 37.5% (12-32) from three. The Cats had 22 assists to 8 turnovers, numbers that will make Mark Pope very happy.
Check out the complete box score below.
Score Update: 3:18 2H – Kentucky 90, LSU 54
03/04/2025 07:41:25 PMWill the Cats hit 100? There’s a pretty good chance. Kentucky leads 90-54 at the final media timeout. Collin Chandler is the latest Cat to hit double figures, hitting a pair of free throws to bring his total tonight to 11, a career-high. It’s a feel-good night for everyone.
Ansley Almonor hits a season-high on Senior Night!
03/04/2025 07:38:46 PMAnsley Almonor just hit his third three-pointer of the night, bringing his total tonight to 15 points, a season-high. Check out that assist by Brandon Garrison!
Score Update: 6:03 2H – Kentucky 81, LSU 50
03/04/2025 07:33:19 PMWe have another review! This time, officials are reviewing Cam Carter’s foul on Otega Oweh, who would have otherwise scored Kentucky’s 33rd field goal of the night. We’ll see if they upgrade it to a Flagrant 1 after this timeout. Oweh is up to 22 points on 9-11 from the floor.
Officials upgrade a foul on Brandon Garrison to a Flagrant 1
03/04/2025 07:25:50 PMKentucky leads by 37, but officials just paused the game to review a foul on Brandon Garrison. After review, they upgraded it to a Flagrant 1. Booo.
10:00 2H – Kentucky 74, LSU 37
Score Update: 11:32 2H – Kentucky 66, LSU 34
03/04/2025 07:18:23 PMThe lead is now 32. Brandon Garrison is up to 10 points in just 13 minutes, the only Cat other than Otega Oweh (20 points) in double figures. It’s been a balanced affair for tonight for Kentucky, exactly what the doctor ordered for this quad after Saturday’s loss to Auburn.
Score Update: 14:52 2H – Kentucky 62, LSU 32
03/04/2025 07:09:09 PMThings are a little sloppy at the Under-16 timeout, but the Cats are still up by 30. Otega Oweh is up to 20 points and 7 rebounds, both team highs.
Our first monitor review of the night!
03/04/2025 07:03:59 PMI’m amazed it took this long, but we just had our first monitor review of the night — and it was a relatively quick one! Officials just took at Cam Carter’s foul on Otega Oweh to see if Oweh was shooting a three or a two. It was a three, and Oweh made all three free throws. Kentucky now leads by 30.
17:28 2H – Kentucky 57, LSU 27
Text Machine is happy
03/04/2025 06:51:12 PMText your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
ICYMI, here is Kentucky’s Senior Night ceremony
03/04/2025 06:47:24 PMDidn’t catch Kentucky’s Senior Night ceremonies live? Steven Peake has you covered with this replay, the perfect way to spend halftime.
HALF: Kentucky 50, LSU 23
03/04/2025 06:42:56 PMNow THAT’s more like it. Kentucky leads LSU 50-23 at half after a bucket by Otega Oweh. This is Cats’ largest halftime lead of the season.
Kentucky is hitting 59% from the floor and 50% from three. Otega Oweh leads all scorers with 15 points, the only player in double figures. The Cats have 12 assists on 20 made baskets to just five turnovers. You really love to see it.
Two threes by Collin Chandler!
03/04/2025 06:40:48 PMCollin Chandler is getting in on the first-half fun! The freshman just hit two threes since the last timeout, bringing his season total to seven. Brandon Garrison followed the second one up with an and-one to put Kentucky up 27 with 36.5 to go in the half.
Kentucky leads by 22
03/04/2025 06:34:45 PMHas there been a bigger drop-off in competition, at least in SEC play, than Auburn to LSU? Kentucky is cruising, with Koby Brea’s second three taking the lead to 22 points with less than four minutes to go in the first half. The Cats are shooting 59.3% (16-27) from the field and 50% (5-10) from three. For comparison, the Cats only made 23 field goals in the entire game vs. Auburn.
3:41 1H – Kentucky 39, LSU 17
Score Update: 7:59 1H – Kentucky 27, LSU 10
03/04/2025 06:24:48 PMOtega Oweh is scoring faster than I can type. Oweh just got an and-one to push Kentucky’s lead to 17 at the 7:59 mark. He’ll head to the line after the media timeout. Oweh has scored Kentucky’s last six points.
The Cats are on a 9-0 run in the last 2:07. LSU hasn’t scored a field goal in almost four minutes. That’s proof of what an impact Oweh and Butler have on the game. Right, text machine?
Kentucky reclaims momentum
03/04/2025 06:22:51 PMAnd just like that, Kentucky’s lead is back to double digits. A three by Ansley Almonor and two dunks by Otega Oweh have Kentucky up 15, 25-10, with 8:47 to go in the half.
Score Update: 11:39 1H – Kentucky 18, LSU 10
03/04/2025 06:16:04 PMKentucky led by 14 at the 13-minute mark but LSU is showing some life. The Tigers are on a 6-0 run in the last 1:05 to cut the lead to eight and prompt Mark Pope to call a timeout. Daimion Collins scored LSU’s most recent bucket, a layup off an assist by Jordan Sears.
One reason for the LSU run? Most of Kentucky’s starters got a breather, with Travis Perry, Trent Noah, Ansley Almonor, and Brandon Garrison all in during that segment.
LAMONT BUTLER DUNK!
03/04/2025 06:12:29 PMLamont Butler’s left shoulder may not be 100% yet but his right shoulder looks just fine. Check out Butler’s one-handed dunk to put Kentucky up 15-2 with 14:42 to go in the first half. What a pass from Oweh too.
Score Update: 15:46 1H – Kentucky 10, LSU 2
03/04/2025 06:06:56 PMNow we’re cruising. Kentucky’s on a 10-0 run, capped off by an Amari Williams and-one to make it 10-2 with 15:46 to go. It could be 11-2 if Williams hits his free throw after the media timeout. Andrew Carr rebounded from a missed dunk with his first three of the night. He missed another three-point attempt, but it led to the putback by Amari Williams. With this group, the more three-point attempts, the better.
Koby Brea gets Kentucky on the board after a sloppy start
03/04/2025 06:04:32 PMIt’s been a bit of a shaky start so far, which hopefully we can chalk up to Senior Night emotions. LSU struck first on a Robert Miller III bucket, but Koby Brea responded, scoring Kentucky’s first points, a deep three.
Kentucky’s starters on Senior Night
03/04/2025 05:52:38 PMKentucky is rolling with the same starting lineup from the Auburn game tonight. It’ll likely be the same starting lineup we see the rest of the season as long as there are no more injuries (knock on wood).
01 Lamont Butler
00 Otega Oweh
04 Koby Brea
07 Andrew Carr
22 Amari Williams
Former Kentucky Wildcat Daimion Collins will start for LSU, his 22nd start for the Tigers this season.
Tonight’s officials…
03/04/2025 05:51:43 PM…are Owen Shortt, Byron Jarrett, and Jason Baker. Kentucky’s got a winning record in games called by this crew this season.
Senior Night videos
03/04/2025 05:49:22 PMSteven Peake will have a full video of the Senior Night festivities in just a bit. Until then, enjoy the ceremony through smaller snippets via Twitter. Marlana VanHoose sang “My Old Kentucky Home.”
Senior Night live stream
03/04/2025 05:36:46 PMFollow the link here for a live stream of Senior Night: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18QeD9fJRc/
Brian Custer and Daymeon Fishback on the call
03/04/2025 05:12:44 PMThe Cats are back on the Deuce (old people slang for ESPN2) tonight with Brian Custer and Daymeon Fishback on the call. You probably know Fishback, the former Auburn star who has been with the SEC Network for over a decade now. Brian Custer may be a new name. He’s been calling college basketball and football games for a few years for ESPN. I could be wrong, but I think this is the first Kentucky Basketball game he’s called.
Here’s how to watch and listen:
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Television: ESPN2 (Brian Custer, Daymeon Fishback)
- Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
- Online Radio: iHeart
- Satellite Radio: Sirius 106 or 190
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
It’s a busy night of hoops. There’s a TRIPLE header on SEC Network tonight, with Arkansas at Vandy not tipping off until 10 p.m. ET (or probably later) following Georgia at South Carolina and Texas at No. 25 Mississippi State. Be glad you’re not a Razorback or Commodore fan tonight.
Vyctorius Miller, Corey Chest out for LSU
03/04/2025 05:01:28 PMLSU will try to pull off the upset without one of its starters and key reserves. Freshman guard Vyctorius Miller (ankle) and freshman forward Corey Chest (foot) are both out tonight. Miller started the last five games for the Tigers and is averaging 8.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Chest averages 6.1 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game. Junior forward Jalen Reed is out for the year after tearing his ACL in December. Senior guard Dji Bailey was listed as probable but isn’t on today’s report, meaning he’s available.
No surprises on Kentucky’s side of the eligibility report, which is a good thing.
Daimion Collins returns to his old stomping grounds
03/04/2025 04:55:43 PMIt’s been almost two years since Daimion Collins transferred from Kentucky to LSU, but tonight is his first trip back to Rupp Arena. During warm-ups, he received a warm welcome from his former teammate Walker Horn. Collins missed most of last season with a dislocated shoulder but has found his groove this year in Baton Rouge, averaging 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. He’ll be in the starting lineup opposite Amari Williams tonight.
Lamont Butler is first out for warm-ups
03/04/2025 04:53:20 PMLamont Butler is savoring every minute of his final game at Rupp Arena. Per usual, Kentucky’s starting point guard was the first player out for warm-ups. He’s still wearing that giant shoulder brace too.
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