LIVE BLOG: [3] Kentucky vs. [2] Tennessee, NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
Kentucky has beaten Tennessee twice this season; tonight, the two rivals meet for the first time in the NCAA Tournament with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. KSR’s LIVE BLOG will bring you all the sights and sounds from Lucas Oil Stadium in round three of the No. 3 seed Wildcats and the No. 2 seed Volunteers (7:39 p.m. ET, TBS).
Tennessee’s offense struggled in the first two matchups vs. Kentucky, with the Vols shooting just 38.1% from the floor and 22.2% from deep. The Vols have looked good since, making it to the finals of the SEC Tournament and shooting 21-50 (42%) from three in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, the Cats seemed to find their stride in the second round win over Illinois, with Lamont Butler playing his best game in months. Butler missed the first game vs. Tennessee and reaggravated his shoulder in the second. Andrew Carr is healthier than he was in the first two matchups, too. Koby Brea seems confident that the setup at Lucas Oil won’t affect his shooting.
Refresh the feed below for updates and our takes on the game from Lucas Oil Stadium. You can also join the conversation on the KSBoard Game Thread or by texting your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
First, a message from today’s LIVE BLOG sponsor, Origin Hotel Lexington.
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FINAL: Tennessee 78, Kentucky 65
03/28/2025 08:55:45 PMThat’s it. Kentucky’s season ends in the Sweet 16 with a loss to Tennessee. The Cats just couldn’t close the gap vs. the Vols, who clearly learned from their losses in Lexington and Knoxville. The Vols were the aggressor on both ends of the court, shutting the Cats down from the outside and owning the boards. Tennessee outrebounded Kentucky 34-24 and had 19 second chance points to the Cats’ five. Add in Kentucky’s 6-15 mark from the outside and digging out of the first half hole was almost impossible.
Tough way to end the season. We’ll have more from this one as the night goes on.
Sad Text Machine Takes
03/28/2025 08:45:20 PMText your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
Score Update: 3:55 2H – Tennessee 72, Kentucky 55
03/28/2025 08:43:07 PMAmari Williams was slow to get up after being fouled on that missed du. He slid about 10 feet after falling to the floor. He needed a minute to catch his breath before walking over to Kentucky’s huddle for the media timeout.
Double foul on Amari Williams, Jordan Gainey
03/28/2025 08:39:48 PMIf losing by 15 wasn’t bad enough, we almost had some fisticuffs. Officials reviewed the tape of the interaction between Amari Williams and Jordan Gainey under the basket and called double flagrant fouls, which offset. The two got tangled falling to the ground, with Gainey hitting Williams on the back of the head. Otega Oweh rushed over to help him up, pushing some Tennessee players out of the way, which led to a bit of a kerfuffle. Coaches and officials stepped in before it escalated, but Tennessee fans got to their feet as the Vols headed to the bench and Zakai Zeigler pointed at the scoreboard.
4:43 2H – Tennessee 70, Kentucky 55
Score Update: 8:26 2H – Tennessee 65, Kentucky 48
03/28/2025 08:21:22 PMThere are still eight and a half minutes left but that kinda felt like ballgame. Tennessee has hit five of its last seven field goals, one being a three by Chaz Lanier, his first of the game. Lamont Butler responded with one of his own to cut the lead to 12, but the Vols pushed it to 17 with a tipback dunk, a turnover by Brandon Garrison, and a three by Zakai Zeigler. Just a brutal segment for the Cats.
Otega Oweh dunk leads to Go Big Blue chants
03/28/2025 08:12:20 PMOtega Oweh’s steal and slam cut Tennessee’s lead to 13, but Chaz Lanier rebounded a three-point attempt by Zeigler as the shot clock expired and put it back to push it to 15. Brandon Garrison was fouled on a layup and will be headed to the line after the timeout.
The stat of the night so far is second-chance points. Tennessee has 17 to Kentucky’s four. The Vols are outrebounding the Cats 28-18.
11:17 2H – Tennessee 55, Kentucky 42
Andrew Carr took a hard fall during halftime
03/28/2025 08:08:51 PMAndrew Carr is actually playing really well this half, with six points, including two dunks, but he had a scary moment during halftime. Carr tripped on the carpeting in the tunnel to the locker room and fell hard. Thankfully, he’s okay, but this place may actually be cursed.
Score Update: 15:08 2H – Tennessee 49, Kentucky 34
03/28/2025 08:03:51 PMKentucky still hasn’t hit a three this half, but Andrew Carr made sure the ball went in the bucket with a dunk off an assist by Brandon Garrison. Still a very big hill to climb.
The Cats are finding success inside
03/28/2025 08:00:32 PMKentucky fans in Lucas Oil are trying to make the comeback happen, coming to their feet after buckets by Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr. The pace is picking up, which plays to Kentucky’s strengths. They just need to hit some threes. Koby Brea and Otega Oweh have missed their attempts so far.
Kentucky starts with a shot clock violation
03/28/2025 07:57:52 PMThe Cats need to own the first few minutes of this half to have a shot at a comeback. Instead, they started with a shot clock violation. Not ideal.
HALF: Tennessee 43, Kentucky 28
03/28/2025 07:35:19 PMAt least Kentucky ended the half on a good note. Collin Chandler hit a three to cut Tennessee’s lead to 15. That margin was 14 but officials reviewed Otega Oweh’s three with 39 seconds left and ruled it a two. Kentucky has clawed back from big halftime deficits before. Here’s hoping they can do it again and keep dancing.
Check out the halftime stats below, if you like. Here’s to a better second half.
Otega Oweh is trying
03/28/2025 07:30:35 PMOtega Oweh is trying to pull Kentucky back in this. His layup brought Kentucky within 16 with 1:04 to go and prompted Rick Barnes to call a timeout.
Kentucky can’t get anything going
03/28/2025 07:24:31 PMThose last two possessions were a perfect example of what’s happening tonight. Tennessee scores after getting a big offensive rebound, while Kentucky misses three times. Kentucky is in a 3:35 scoring drought, missing its last seven field goals. The Vols, meanwhile, are on an 8-0 run, hitting four of their last five.
2:50 1H – Tennessee 39, Kentucky 20
Score Update: 4:38 1H – Tennessee 35, Kentucky 20
03/28/2025 07:19:34 PMIt feels like nothing is going right for the Cats right now. Amari Williams is trying to bring Kentucky back into it, scoring the Cats’ last four field goals, but is now on the bench after picking up a foul. Every time Kentucky manages to score, the Vols respond with a bucket of their own. They lead by 15 with 4:35 to go in the half.
It looks like we got a Weetabix bit on the broadcast, even if Evan Washburn failed to mention the cereal’s name.
Koby Brea lost his shoe
03/28/2025 07:13:34 PMKentucky’s shoes are even falling off. Koby Brea lost his shoe on that possession, and leading to some sloppiness as he tried to get rid of the ball.
A MUCH-needed dunk by Amari Williams
03/28/2025 07:08:45 PMAmari Willliams heard your complaints. He just threw down a dunk to bring Kentucky within ten. That could change soon, as Zakai Zeigler headed back to the free-throw line after the media timeout following a foul on Collin Chandler. That was Kentucky’s seventh foul, meaning the Vols are already in the bonus.
7:57 1H – Tennessee 27, Kentucky 17
What a horrible segment
03/28/2025 07:05:48 PMThings are going from bad to worse. After Oweh’s free throws, Zakai Zeigler threw it to Okpara for a dunk. Okpara blocked an Otega shot attempt on the other end and Zeigler rebounded it to throw ahead to Chaz Lanier for a driving layup. Trent Noah fouled him and Lanier made the free throw to put the Vols up 11 with 8:54 to go in the half.
Score Update: 9:36 1H – Tennessee 21, Kentucky 13
03/28/2025 07:00:43 PMOtega Oweh just got a steal and drew a foul on his layup attempt. Sadly, it didn’t go in, but he’ll head to the line after this media timeout. Kentucky needs all the free points it can get. The Cats are down eight, and need to continue to settle in. Tennessee is outrebounding Kentucky 12-6 so far and Kentucky only has two threes on five attempts. The Vols aren’t giving the Cats any open looks. The players are noticeably frustrated by the Vols’ defense and the officiating. Oweh motioned to the ref after an obvious push-off and no-call.
Lamont Butler drills a three
03/28/2025 06:55:59 PMWith the shot clock running low, Koby Brea got Lamont Butler the ball and Butler nailed a three to bring Kentucky within three. Unfortunately, Tennessee’s Jordan Gainey answered it with one of his own.
13:08 1H – Tennessee 13, Kentucky 7
Peyton Manning got booed on the jumbotron
03/28/2025 06:54:24 PMPeyton Manning, former Tennessee Vol and Indianapolis Colt, is in Lucas Oil tonight. I’m sure he loved it when Kentucky fans booed him when he was shown on the jumbotron.
Also in the house: Wayne Turner. So far, no screen time for him.
Zakai Zeigler hits his first three
03/28/2025 06:52:55 PMZeigler struggled in the first two games vs. Kentucky, but he’s feeling it so far in round three. Tennessee’s point guard just hit his first three to put the Vols up 10-4 with 14:55 to go in the first half.
Score Update: 15:47 1H – Tennessee 7, Kentucky 4
03/28/2025 06:48:02 PMTennessee fans in the building just got a big reason to cheer as Zakai Zeigler put the Vols on top with an and-one, with Lamont Butler picking up the foul. Zeigler completed the three-point play to give the Vols a three-point lead. Zeigler fired off a three, but Otega Oweh blocked it. Unfortunately, Oweh traveled on the other end. It’ll be Tennessee ball after the media timeout. So far, the Vols are having better luck guarding Kentucky, holding the Cats to just 1-4 from the field.
KOBY BREA THREEEEE
03/28/2025 06:43:44 PMAfter a foul on Andrew Carr, Tennessee got on the board first with a pair of free throws by Milicic. Kentucky’s response? A three by Koby Brea.
17:54 1H – Kentucky 3, Tennessee 2
Four misses so far
03/28/2025 06:42:01 PM90 seconds in and neither team has scored. Both Kentucky and Tennessee are 0-2 from the field so far, with Amari Williams airballing a midrange jumper.
Boos for the Vols, cheers for the Cats
03/28/2025 06:33:45 PMBoth teams have taken the court, and Kentucky DEFINITELY has the crowd advantage. VERY loud boos as Tennessee came out and was introduced. We even got a faint “Go Big Blue” chant after Kentucky took the floor. BBN is ready to pop.
Hear from Pope ahead of the game
03/28/2025 06:27:20 PMIt’s insanely loud in this building, so I’m not sure what Mark Pope said to Tom Leach, but you can watch part of their conversation below.
Blue is getting in a big way
03/28/2025 06:14:05 PMWe’ve got 25ish minutes to go and Kentucky fans are filling up Lucas Oil. Every single one we’ve talked to is VERY confident in the Cats. The vibes are great.
Here come the stripes
03/28/2025 05:58:56 PMThe referee names have finally been released. Doug Shows will be on the whistle along with Brian Dorsey and Lamar Simpson. Shows was, of course, the official who called a foul on Otega Oweh when his nose was busted up against Alabama in the SEC Tournament.
Kentucky is 1-4 this season in power conference games with Shows on assignment. Kentucky needed an Otega Oweh game-winner in Norman to win that only game . Brian Dorsey was on the whistle with Shows for Ohio State’s win over Kentucky. Lamar Simpson has not done a Kentucky game all season.
Spotted outside Lucas Oil
03/28/2025 05:22:03 PMI love dogs, but hard pass on this.
Pregame Text Machine Takes
03/28/2025 05:17:13 PMText your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
Blue definitely got into the pregame show
03/28/2025 05:12:30 PMIndy was a ghost town until lunch, when Kentucky fans finally started pulling into town. The streets are flooded with blue and Tin Roof was absolutely packed for the pregame show.
This has to be a good omen, right?
03/28/2025 05:04:04 PMOn this day, 11 years ago, Aaron Harrson sent Louisville home from Indianapolis in this very building with the first of three straight game-winners. We talk a lot about Kentucky’s bad Indy luck, but that has to be a good omen, right?
Check out the setup at Lucas Oil
03/28/2025 04:54:36 PMGreetings from Lucas Oil Stadium, where fans are starting to come in. Basketball games in football stadiums are truly bizarre.
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