Kentucky’s 8-game win streak ends with second-half collapse against UT
On Monday, Tennessee Coach Rick Barnes called Kentucky “the most underrated and underappreciated team in the country.”
Barnes could have added the most thrill-seeking team, which could make the Big Blue Nation the most anxious fan base.
Kentucky led Tennessee by 17 points early in the second half Tuesday night. But that didn’t prevent yet another UK game to come down to a test of will.
For the 24th time in 30 games, Kentucky and an opponent were separated by seven or fewer points inside the final seven minutes. It was the 16th time one possession was the separation.
Tennessee rallied for an 81-73 victory.
When asked why Kentucky had won so many of these games, Barnes said on Monday, “The free-throw shooting and great defense, for certain.”
Tennessee, 17-13 overall and 9-8 in the Southeastern Conference, was that team in Rupp Arena. The Vols made seven of eight free throws inside the final 49.5 seconds to win at Kentucky for only the fourth time since 1979.
John Fulkerson scored a career-high 27 points to lead Tennessee.
Kentucky, 24-6 overall and 14-3 in the SEC, committed two turnovers and shot an airball to typify a confused final three minutes.
Tyrese Maxey led Kentucky with 21 points. Leading scorer Immanuel Quickley made only five of 16 shots (making him eight for 26 in the last two games) and scored 15 points.
Kentucky led for all but two minutes and 24 seconds in the first half.
UK was ahead 42-31 at halftime. That marked the highest-scoring first half for Kentucky since getting 45 points in the opening 20 minutes against Alabama on Jan. 11.
Maxey led the way with 14 points before the break.
Johnny Juzang chipped in six points thanks to 2-for-2 shooting from three-point range. In the first game in Knoxville, he made three of three three-point shots. That was his only other game this season in which he made more than one three-pointer.
Kentucky led throughout almost all of the first half despite getting little offense from Quickley. He missed six of his first seven shots and scored five points in the half.
Tennessee stayed within shouting distance thanks to Fulkerson. He scored 15 points in a half that breathed life into Barnes’ call for physical play from UT’s fourth-year junior, who had responded with double-digit points in seven of the eight most recent game.
“It’s not in his nature to play the way he’s been playing,” Barnes said Monday. “The way people game plan for him, he gets pushed. He gets shoved around more than any player I’ve ever coached. … People think he’s flopping out there. He’s not. He’s light. He’s quick. And his motor is what makes him different. … His mindset has changed where he realizes that we need him to be aggressive. …
“No one has got more of a load to carry than what ‘Fulky’ has been carrying in the last couple weeks.”
Sestina set the halftime score with a putback dunk in the final second. It was his only basket of the game.
It gave Kentucky its largest halftime lead since being up 43-23 on Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 7.
UK scored the first six points of the second half to expand its lead to 48-31 with 17:30 left. Twice more UK got the lead back to 17 points, the second time with 16:53 left.
As has been the case much of this season, Kentucky could not expand the lead. Back-to-back Tennessee dunks reduced the lead to 51-43 and prompted a UK timeout with 13:57 left.
When Fulkerson made a layup while being pushed by Sestina, Kentucky’s lead was down to 60-57 at the third television timeout.
Tennessee still led 68-65 at the fourth TV timeout, setting up yet another possession-by-possession finish for Kentucky.
Next game
No. 6 Kentucky at Florida
1 p.m. Saturday (CBS-27)
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 11:30 PM with the headline "Kentucky’s 8-game win streak ends with second-half collapse against UT."
