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Kentucky took to the floor in Rupp Arena for the early 1pm tip against the Auburn Tigers looking to snap a four-game losing streak and get revenge after losing to the Tigers earlier in the season. If they lost the game it would be the first time in the series history that they Cats would be swept in their conference games by the Tigers. The Wildcats needed another good game from Brandon Boston to defeat Auburn and his second half performance helped push the Cats past the Tigers 82 to 80. After scoring only 3 points in the first half Boston scored 14 in the second and ended the game hitting 5 of his 8 three-point attempts.
The player of the game for Kentucky was Isaiah Jackson who ended the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds. He also hit 8 of his 11 free-throws, but it was his play in the last minute that sealed the victory for the Wildcats which included a block and rebound that protected the Cats lead.
The Big Blue Nation were happy to see Kentucky come out a victor on a close basketball game. Even though their play down the stretch was not great, they finally found a way to make plays when it mattered. The Wildcats look to continue win when they take on Vanderbilt on Wednesday at 7pm on the SEC Network.
Game Summary:
The Tigers scored the first five points of the game while the Wildcats missed their first eight field goals of the game. The Cats first points came from a pair of free-throws by Isaiah Jackson who also scored the first field goal for the Cats. The poor shooting continued for Kentucky going 2-11 and they found themselves trailing the Tigers 7 to 15. After hitting three shots in a row and forcing a couple turnovers the Wildcats pulled within 3 with five minutes left in the first half. Sloppy play continued for both teams, but Auburn was able to extend their lead and end the half with a 36 to 30 lead over Kentucky.
Keion Brooks led Kentucky with 8 points at the half and Isaiah Jackson led the rebound category with 8. The Cats created 9 first half turnovers against Auburn while only giving the ball up 5 times. However, the Wildcats 33 % field goal percentage kept the Cats from gaining the lead the entire first half.
The Cats hit their first three shots of the second half and tied the game 38 to 38. The Wildcats took the lead for the first time in the game after a three points basket from Sarr which began a 9-0 UK run giving the Cats a 47 to 41 lead. The UK led was pushed to 10 when a technical foul was called on Auburn’s coach Bruce Pearl. After many questionable calls all going Auburn’s way, the Tigers pulled even with 45 seconds left in the game. A clutch three-pointer by Davion Mintz put the Wildcats back on top 80 to 77 with 28 seconds left in regulation. What looked like an open layup for Auburn was blocked by Jackson the Cats were fouled and Jacob Toppin hit a free throw to put the cats up 4. After several Missed shots by Auburn Isaiah Jackson was sent to the line and hit one to put the cats up 82 to 77. After a bogus three-point foul with a second left in the game the Tigers tacked on 3 more to make the final score 82 to 80 with the Cats ahead.
