After slow start vs. Brown, Kentucky gets back to winning big

Ben Roberts, Lexington Herald-Leader on Dec 31, 2024

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Ten days after their worst loss of the season, it took the Kentucky Wildcats a little while to get going in their final game of 2024.

The No. 10-ranked Cats did enough Tuesday afternoon for an 88-54 victory over Brown on New Year’s Eve in Rupp Arena, the final nonconference game of the 2024-25 season for Mark Pope’s team.

It was also UK’s first game since suffering an 85-65 drubbing to Ohio State in Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21, and — while Rupp was packed well before tipoff and the crowd was hot at the start — it took the Wildcats some time to get back into the basketball flow.

Kentucky (11-2) scored just one basket in the first five minutes of the game, and the Cats trailed Brown 6-4 early before a 15-3 run opened up a double-digit lead near the midway point of the half.

Andrew Carr led four Wildcats in double figures with 14 points (all in the first half) and added five rebounds and three steals. Koby Brea, Otega Oweh and Amari Williams scored 13 points each, with Oweh getting a team-high four steals and Williams tallying a team-high three blocked shots. Brandon Garrison had five rebounds and a team-high four assists off the bench.

Coming out of halftime, Oweh scored the first five points in a 7-0 Kentucky run, and the Wildcats ultimately scored 13 points — and went 6 for 7 from the field — before the first TV timeout of the second half. By then, UK’s lead had ballooned to 20 points.

Kentucky shot 30 for 60 from the field, going 10 for 28 from 3-point range and making 18 of 23 free throws. The Cats had 14 steals and forced 23 turnovers, the most by any UK opponent so far this season. Kentucky scored 33 points off those turnovers.

Brown (7-5) was picked to finish third in the eight-team Ivy League in the preseason poll. The Bears had a six-game winning streak until losing 87-53 at Kansas on Dec. 22. This was the first time that UK and Brown had met on the basketball court.

The Cats led 39-27 at halftime Tuesday, despite shooting just 11 for 26 from the field and getting outrebounded 21-10 in the first half. UK did force 14 Brown turnovers before the break, scoring 19 points off those miscues.

This was the final game of the nonconference schedule for the Wildcats, who will begin their SEC gauntlet Saturday with an 11 a.m. tipoff against No. 6-ranked Florida in Rupp Arena.

The Gators will bring a 13-0 record into that matchup, the first in Kentucky’s 18-game league schedule.