LIVE BLOG: No. 17 Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt upset Kentucky in Nashville last month. Can the Cats get revenge without Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson? KSR’s LIVE BLOG will bring you all the sights and sounds from Rupp Arena as the No. 17 Wildcats host the Commodores (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
Kentucky is 3-3 since the first meeting, trading wins for losses as it navigates injuries. Vanderbilt is 1-4, the lone win coming over Texas. Three of those losses came to ranked opponents (Florida, Auburn, Tennessee) and the other was an eye-popping 30-point defeat at Oklahoma. Jason Edwards leads the ‘Dores with 17.6 points per game on 45.7% field-goal shooting. He had 18 vs. Kentucky last month. As we saw in the first meeting, Vandy is good at forcing turnovers, No. 2 in the SEC, so ball protection will be at a premium for Kentucky’s makeshift backcourt.
Can the Cats take care of business and get a little revenge? 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).
FINAL: Kentucky 82, Vanderbilt 61
02/19/2025 07:51:38 PMKentucky couldn’t afford to lose this game. For one half, it was close, but the Cats did what they needed to do in the second, outscoring Vandy 41-21 after intermission. Almost everyone played well, with a surprising performance by Collin Chandler, who finished with a career-high 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 15 minutes. Otega Oweh led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Amari Williams, who was a perfect 6-6 from the field and 5-5 from the free-throw line, helping the Cats reclaim the paint in the second half.
Kentucky improves to 18-8 overall, 7-6 in the SEC. On to Alabama.
Score Update: 1:40 2H – Kentucky 82, Vanderbilt 58
02/19/2025 07:47:56 PMThe Cats are officially in cruise control, up 24 with just over a minute and a half to go. This three by Ansley Almonor takes Kentucky’s mark from beyond the arc to 11-26.
Perry pushes the lead to 20!
02/19/2025 07:41:31 PMThe Lyon King is roaring! Travis Perry hit his second three of the night to push Kentucky’s lead to 20. Cats are rolling, hitting six of their last seven field goals.
3:22 2H – Kentucky 76, Vanderbilt 56
Travis Perry three!
02/19/2025 07:38:12 PMPerry’s first bucket of the night pushes Kentucky’s lead to 15 with 6:08 to go.
Score Update: 6:51 2H – Kentucky 66, Vanderbilt 52
02/19/2025 07:36:02 PMComing out of the media timeout, officials overturned a goaltending call on Amari Williams that gave Vanderbilt’s AJ Hoggard two points at the 8:07 mark. Kentucky now leads by 14.
Collin freaking Chandler, ladies and gentlemen. The freshman guard has been a big catalyst in Kentucky’s second-half run today, helping push the lead to 17 at one point. It’s down to 14 following a three by Chris Manon, but No. 5 has been excellent, totaling 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in just 14 minutes.
This three by Otega Oweh was big too.
Collin Chandler love on the Text Machine
02/19/2025 07:26:04 PMText your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
Score Update: 11:50 2H – Kentucky 59, Vanderbilt 46
02/19/2025 07:23:54 PMKoby Brea’s third three of the night has pushed the lead to 13. The Cats are on a 12-2 run over the last 3:48. Keep the foot on the gas…
Kentucky’s big men are taking over
02/19/2025 07:18:43 PMKentucky’s big men are asserting themselves. Amari Williams and Andrew Carr have led Kentucky’s 9-0 run to push the lead to 12, forcing Vandy to call another timeout. Carr’s latest bucket was a three, taking his total tonight to nine points. It came off an assist by Collin Chandler, who continues to play his best game of the season.
Carrs don’t quit!
12:53 2H – Kentucky 56, Vanderbilt 44
Score Update: 15:56 2H – Kentucky 47, Vanderbilt 44
02/19/2025 07:12:54 PMThe Dores are back within three after back-to-back buckets, both by Jaylen Carey. On the most recent, Amari Williams blocked Carey’s dunk, drawing a roar from the Rupp crowd, but Carey got the rebound and put it back in.
Score Update: 17:17 2H – Kentucky 47, Vanderbilt 40
02/19/2025 07:08:03 PMNow that’s how you start a half. The Cats are off to a 6-0 run, prompting Vandy to call a timeout. Included in that span were buckets by Andrew Carr, Amari Williams, and Otega Oweh; two blocked shots; a steal; and four stops. How’s that for some defense!
Peter Burns called out Matt Jones’ old hairstyle on the halftime show
02/19/2025 07:06:21 PMMatt Jones caught some strays on the SEC Network’s halftime show, with host Peter Burns calling out an old picture of Matt making the rounds online.
“Nebraska, right now they’re on the bubble, looks worse than Matt Jones’ hairstyle about 10 years ago,” Burns quipped.
Thankfully for Matt, they did not show the picture.
Halftime Fun in Rupp Arena
02/19/2025 07:03:39 PMNo Pei Pei tonight, unfortunately, so Rupp Arena dusted off the Snackwards Cam. The SNL Lookalike Cam was a fail, though, like all of the other lookalike cams. Please stop doing those, Rupp.
Halftime Text Machine takes
02/19/2025 06:52:16 PMText your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
HALF: Kentucky 41, Vanderbilt 40
02/19/2025 06:48:13 PMKentucky had some momentum rolling into half thanks to that monster dunk by Amari Williams, but Vandy’s Devin McGlockton hit a layup at the buzzer to pull within one, 41-40. Kentucky’s defense remains an issue. Vanderbilt has 18 rebounds to Kentucky’s 12 and 20 points in the paint to the Cats’ 12. The stat I’m sure Mark Pope is showing to his team at half: Vanderbilt has eight offensive rebounds to Kentucky’s two.
Amari Williams slam-and-one!
02/19/2025 06:46:46 PMKentucky’s back on top thanks to this monster dunk by Amari Williams, their seven-foot point center.
34.6 1H 0 Kentucky 41, Vanderbilt 38
Score Update: 1:14 – Kentucky 38, Vanderbilt 38
02/19/2025 06:44:29 PMWe’re all tied with 1:14 to go in the half. Vanderbilt just called a timeout, following a three by Devin McGlockton, which took the sting off this Otega Oweh megablock:
One more look at Jaxson Robinson’s reaction:
Score Update: 2:50 1H – Vanderbilt 35, Kentucky 34
02/19/2025 06:39:21 PMKentucky reclaimed the lead after my last update, but the ‘Dores are back in front following a bucket by Jason Edwards, prompting Mark Pope to call a timeout. Kentucky has only made one of its last nine field goals and is on a three-minute scoring drought. Collin Chandler, who has a career-high seven points, is on the bench with two fouls.
Gotta get some momentum rolling into the half.
Vandy takes the lead
02/19/2025 06:32:02 PMRuh roh. The Cats have gone cold, on a 3:38 scoring drought. Meanwhile, Vandy has scored seven straight points to take the lead.
6:21 1H – Vanderbilt 31, Kentucky 30
Babies behind the bench! Don’t tell Ryan Lemond
02/19/2025 06:29:46 PMIf you listened to this morning’s show, you heard Ryan Lemond weigh in on the debate over whether or not you should take babies to basketball games. Ryan argued the earliest you should take a kid to a sporting event is three years old, so I’m sure he’s got thoughts on these two babies behind Kentucky’s bench.
Score Update: 7:47 1H – Kentucky 30, Vanderbilt 25
02/19/2025 06:26:23 PMAt the under-eight media timeout, Kentucky leads by five. Ansley Almonor scored the Cats’ last bucket, his second three. Both teams have cooled off a bit, Kentucky now 9-15 (60%) from the floor and Vandy 11-20 (55%). In good news, the Cats only have three turnovers so far. They turned it over 17 times in Nashville.
Text Machine wants to see some defense
02/19/2025 06:20:31 PMText your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
Collin Chandler came to play
02/19/2025 06:16:43 PMKentucky needed someone to step up with Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson is out. Tonight, Collin Chandler is heeding that call. After an early three, the freshman just got a steal and worked his way to the basket through contact. Well done, No. 5.
Kentucky’s offense is humming (7-9 FG), but the defense is struggling to get stops (Vandy is 9-12 FG). This might be a shootout.
12:00 1H – Kentucky 23, Vanderbilt 21
Two threes for Koby Brea!
02/19/2025 06:13:34 PMAm I going to make a separate update for every Koby Brea made three? I just might! Kentucky needs them that badly. Brea’s second three of the night put the Cats up 18-15. Ansley Almonor followed it up with a triple of his own to push the lead to 21-15. The Cats are 6-7 from the field so far, 4-5 from beyond the arc.
14:33 1H: Kentucky 21, Vanderbilt 17
Score Update: 15:31 1H – Kentucky 15, Vanderbilt 12
02/19/2025 06:10:27 PMCollin Chandler was Kentucky’s first sub, coming in for Travis Perry. He quickly made his presence known, hitting a three to put Kentucky up 15-10. It was just Chandler’s fourth three of the season. Unfortunately, Vandy’s Chris Manon followed it up with a dunk and Otega Oweh turned it over on the other end.
Vandy will be at the line after the timeout following a foul on Andrew Carr.
Otega Oweh and-one!
02/19/2025 06:04:41 PMKentucky’s off to a hot start, making three of four shots, the latest by Otega Oweh, who was fouled and hit his free throw to make it 8-5 Cats just over two minutes in.
17:45 1H – Kentucky 8, Vanderbilt 5
Koby Brea starts the game with a three!
02/19/2025 06:02:06 PMKoby Brea didn’t make a single field goal at Texas, going 0-5 from the floor, 0-4 from beyond the arc. He just scored the first bucket of tonight’s game, a stepback three. That’s a great sign, right?
19:46 1H – Kentucky 3, Vanderbilt 0
Tonight’s officials…
02/19/2025 05:43:53 PM…are Pat Adams, Jeb Hartness, and Lee Cassell. Get ready for monitor reviews!
Andrew Carr rejoins the starting lineup
02/19/2025 05:41:28 PMMark Pope is switching things up a bit. Travis Perry will make his second straight start, but Andrew Carr is also back in the starting lineup. Carr hasn’t started since the game vs. Alabama on Jan. 18, with Ansley Almonor filling his spot.
11 Travis Perry
00 Otega Oweh
04 Koby Brea
07 Andrew Carr
22 Amari Williams
Text Machine is ready to turn the TV down and the radio up
02/19/2025 05:37:53 PMIf you’d like to as well, check out Drew Franklin’s tutorial from earlier this week. Text your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
First SEC Network game in…over a month!
02/19/2025 05:11:35 PMFor the first time since January 11, Kentucky’s road trip to Mississippi State, the Cats are back on the SEC Network. Roy Philpott and Daymeon Fishback are on the call tonight. Here are the other details on how to watch and listen:
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Television: SEC Network (Roy Philpott and Daymeon Fishback)
- Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
- Online Radio: iHeart
- Satellite Radio: Sirius 84
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
And the complete list of games on TV tonight (times ET):
Travis Perry is first out for warm-ups
02/19/2025 04:55:12 PMWith Lamont Butler out, Travis Perry will likely get his second career start at point guard. He was the first on the floor for warmups, which are now underway at Rupp.
No changes in the Availability Report
02/19/2025 04:51:55 PMTo no one’s surprise, Lamont Butler (shoulder) and Jaxson Robinson (wrist) are still listed as out on the final SEC Availability Report, as is Vanderbilt graduate guard Alex Hemenway, who has yet to play this season.
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