Kentucky bounces back from first SEC loss with double-digit win over Mississippi State
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Game day: No. 8 Kentucky 90, Mississippi State 77
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Wednesday’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Mississippi State in Rupp Arena.
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It didn’t take Kentucky long to bounce back from its first loss in SEC play.
The No. 8-ranked Wildcats put on another display of offensive strength Wednesday night, jumping out to a double-digit lead less than six minutes in and putting away the Mississippi State Bulldogs 90-77 in their return to Rupp Arena.
UK (13-3, 3-1 SEC) was coming off an overtime loss at Texas A&M over the weekend, its first defeat in league play and one that snapped a six-game winning streak that lasted six weeks and featured victories over now-No. 4 North Carolina, rival Louisville and a road victory at Florida.
The Cats wasted little time getting another run going. Antonio Reeves’ fast-break layup with 14:32 left in the first half gave Kentucky a 15-5 lead. The Bulldogs (12-5, 1-3 SEC) closed the gap to four points a couple of minutes later, but it was never a one-possession game again.
UK went on a 13-2 run later in the first half, and a fast-break opportunity that Reeves finished off with a Eurostep around a Mississippi State defender put the Cats up 47-27 with 1:04 left before halftime.
The Cats got a bit of a scare out of the halftime locker room, seeing their 18-point lead at the break whittled down to just six before the first TV timeout of the second half — forcing John Calipari to call one of his own — but UK ran off a 9-1 run from there and controlled the score the rest of the way.
Reeves led Kentucky with 27 points — scoring 16 in the first half for the second straight game — and Rob Dillingham added 16 points off the bench. Tre Mitchell (15 points) and Aaron Bradshaw (11 points) also reached double figures. Reed Sheppard had nine points and a team-high six assists. Ugonna Onyenso had six rebounds — tying Bradshaw for the team high — and four blocked shots in 17 minutes.
Mississippi State entered the game rated No. 8 nationally in defensive efficiency, according to the KenPom numbers. The Bulldogs — projected as a 9 seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology — knocked off preseason SEC favorite Tennessee (now ranked No. 6 in the AP poll) last week.
Until Wednesday night, Mississippi State hadn’t given up more than 82 points in any of its previous 16 games. That total was scored by Alabama — the nation’s No. 1-rated offense — in an 82-74 victory over the weekend. Only four of MSU’s previous 16 opponents had scored more than 70 points on the Bulldogs.
Kentucky was playing without Adou Thiero for the fifth consecutive game as he continues to sit with a back issue. Calipari expressed optimism before the game Wednesday that the sophomore guard — one of the team’s best rebounders and most physical players — would be back on the court soon.
UK was a 6 1/2-point favorite over the Bulldogs at tipoff, according to the Caesars betting odds.
Kentucky’s next game
The Wildcats won’t have to travel out of town amid the inclement weather expected later this week. They’ll be staying in Lexington for a matchup with Georgia on Saturday night in Rupp Arena.
The Bulldogs (13-4, 3-1 SEC) have been a surprise after being picked to finish 12th in the league during the preseason. They’ve already scored victories over Arkansas, Missouri and South Carolina — the latter two wins coming on the road — and their lone loss in league play was an 85-79 defeat to Tennessee last weekend. The Dogs have won 11 of their last 12 games.
As of Wednesday evening, KenPom was predicting an 85-74 Kentucky victory over Georgia, which is rated No. 67 nationally on that website.
Saturday’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m. on SEC Network.
This story was originally published January 17, 2024 at 8:56 PM.
