LEXINGTON — Despite having a sold-out Rupp Arena crowd behind them, the Kentucky Wildcats suffered its second home loss of the season Saturday, falling 77-68 to No. 9 Kansas.
“Unbelievable crowd, unbelievable students that were there,” UK head coach John Calipari said postgame. “You want to reward them as a coach and as a team. I want to do that. But we never stopped playing. We fought the whole time.”
The loss snapped Kentucky’s four-game winning streak while it ended a three-game losing skid for Kansas and it also dropped UK to a woeful 1-6 in games against Quad 1 opponents as UK stands firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble despite its recently improved play.
The game marked the final game of the Big 12/SEC challenge that began during the 2012-13 season but will not be continued next season, with the SEC instead playing a yearly game against ACC foes. All-time the Cats went 5-4 in Big 12/SEC challenge games after Saturday’s loss.
With the win, Kansas avenged an 80-62 loss to Kentucky in Lawrence last season. The win gives Kentucky victories over the Jayhawks in back-to-back seasons.
As it has many times this season, Kentucky struggled in the first half as it trailed 41-34 at halftime.
Kentucky shot a woeful 4-for-11 from the free throw line in the opening half and did not make a single three-pointer as it started the game 0-for-6 from deep, including an air ball from Antonio Reeves. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks opened play shooting 48.6% from the field, a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line and erased an early UK 9-4 lead with the Rupp Arena crowd roaring.
Kansas also outrebounded the Wildcats early taking a 21-13 rebound advantage into halftime.
A minute into the second half, Calipari finally turned to what has been Kentucky’s most effective lineup all season for the first time all night: Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick, Reeves, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe. The lineup quickly turned a nine-point deficit into a four-point hole to force a Kansas timeout with 16:10 to play.
Kansas would maintain a four point entering the second half’s third media timeout and grew its lead to six at 70-64 entering the final media stop with 3:37 to play.
With 1:49 to go, Kevin McCullar hit the dagger for the Jayhawks with a deep two that put Kansas up seven and helped end any chance of a UK comeback.
“When we messed up, they made big shots, props to them,” Toppin said postgame. “We got to be better down the stretch, executing, not just offensively, but defensively and knowing our assignments. When we messed up, they just made big shots. So good for them.”
Kentucky was led in scoring by Tshiebwe with 18 points. He was joined in double figures by Wallace (14), Toppin (14) and Reeves (10).
The Wildcats shooting woes from deep continued for the remainder of the game as it shot just 2-for-13 from three on the night and finished 16-for-23 from the free throw line despite going a perfect 12-for-12 from the strip in the second half.
“One or two of those shots come down, maybe it changes the way we’re thinking,” Calipari said.
“You got to make some shots guys. The first half we don’t make free throws, including two front-end one-in-ones. And the second half, we go 12 For 12. That’s who we are.”
Jalen Wilson led the Jayhawks with 22 points. He was joined in double figures by KJ Adams (17), Gradey Dick (13), Kevin McCullar (11). Kansas outrebounded UK 34-29.
“I feel like we were physical, but we weren’t physical enough,” Toppin said. “I didn’t rebound the ball. I think they beat us on the rebounds too. So that that was an it factor. Every other game that we’ve won, we’ve dominated on the boards.”
The loss drops Kentucky to 14-7 overall on the year, while Kansas improved to 17-4.
Kentucky will return to SEC action Tuesday when it travels south to take on the Ole Miss Rebels. Tip-off from Oxford, Mississippi, is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.
NO. 9 KANSAS 77, KENTUCKY 68
KANSAS Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS
Adams 25 8-10 1-1 1-2 3 4 17
Wilson 39 9-18 2-2 1-8 2 1 22
Dick 33 4-11 4-4 0-5 2 2 13
Harris 37 3-8 0-0 0-1 8 2 8
McCullar 34 4-10 2-3 3-12 2 3 11
Udeh 12 2-2 0-0 0-2 0 2 4
Pettiford 9 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 1 0
Ejiofor 4 1-1 0-0 1-1 0 2 2
Yesufu 3 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 200 31-63 9-10 6-31 18 18 77
percentages: FG .492, FT .900.
3-Point Goals: 6-16, .375 (Wilson 2-3, Harris 2-4, McCullar 1-2, Dick 1-5, Rice 0-1, Yesufu 0-1).
Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: None.
Blocked Shots: 2 (McCullar, Rice).
Turnovers: 10 (Dick 3, Harris 2, McCullar 2, Adams, Pettiford, Wilson).
Steals: 9 (Adams 2, Dick 2, McCullar 2, Wilson 2, Udeh).
KENTUCKY Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS
Livingston 17 4-5 0-0 0-2 0 1 8
Toppin 32 6-11 2-4 0-4 2 4 14
Tshiebwe 34 6-9 6-8 2-9 4 3 18
Fredrick 29 1-8 0-0 0-0 2 0 2
Wallace 37 4-7 4-5 0-6 5 3 14
Reeves 30 3-9 4-4 0-2 3 2 10
Wheeler 14 1-2 0-0 0-1 0 1 2
Totals 200 25-51 16-23 2-26 16 14 68
percentages: FG .490, FT .696.
3-Point Goals: 2-13, .154 (Wallace 2-3, Livingston 0-1, Toppin 0-1, Reeves 0-3, Fredrick 0-5).
Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: 1.
Blocked Shots: 3 (Livingston, Tshiebwe, Wallace).
Turnovers: 10 (Tshiebwe 3, Fredrick 2, Wallace 2, Livingston, Reeves, Toppin).
Steals: 7 (Wallace 5, Fredrick, Tshiebwe).
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