Kentucky may have saved a season that was teetering on the brink Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn.
Coming off a pair of demoralizing losses that dropped them to a shocking 1-3 mark in league play, the Wildcats delivered their best performance of the season in a 63-56 upset of No. 5 Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Kentucky (11-6, 2-3 SEC) held the Volunteers to 40% from the field and crushed Tennessee on the glass 43-23 after the home team entered the matchup ranked fifth nationally in rebounding.
Senior guard Antonio Reeves scored a team-high 18 points off the bench, while junior center Oscar Tshiebwe produced another double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Senior guard CJ Fredrick added 13 points for the Cats, who played without starting point guard Sahvir Wheeler and sophomore forward Daimion Collins due to injuries.
The Cats shot only 35% from the field against arguably the nation's top defensive club, but compensated by owning the rebound column and going 22-of-25 at the free-throw line.
Within a five-day span, Kentucky has lost to perhaps the worst team in the league and beaten what may be its best.
The difference?
"We fought for 40 minutes," Fredrick said.
And it came in one of the league’s toughest venues. Tennessee had a 25-game home winning streak snapped.
"We aren't there yet, but what we found out is we have some fight," UK head coach John Calipari said. "We found out that if you fight, you have a chance. My teams, defensively, that's what they look like. Why not this team?"
Tennesssee (14-3, 4-1 SEC) got a huge effort from senior center Uros Plavsic, who scored a game-high 19 points, but the Vols went 3-for-21 from beyond the arc and finished with just four second-chance points as UK dominated the defensive glass.
In addition to Tshiebwe's typical rebounding dominance, senior forward Jacob Toppin pulled down eight for the Cats.
Kentucky led by as many as nine points early in the second half, but the Vols surged back to tie the game at 48 with 5:50 remaining. The Cats quickly responded with a Fredrick 3-pointer, though, and never relinquished the lead.
The Vols trimmed it to 58-56 with 1:08 to go, but UK came up with back to back defensive stops on UT's next two possessions and sank five of six free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
"I told the guys in the locker room, we've been through a lot, but I love each and every one of you," Fredrick said. "Where we go from here, we determine. We use this as momentum. We need this same mindset each and every game and at practice."
*****
In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
KEY MOMENT:
When the Vols managed to erase the nine-point deficit with five minutes to play, many UK fans likely thought the turning point had arrived. But the Cats answered the bell, and CJ Fredrick delivered a huge 3-point shot to reclaim the lead at 51-48. Moments later, a rare missed free throw by UK on the back end of two shots led to a three-point trip when Oscar Tshiebwe grabbed the rebound for a putback. A pair of free throws by Antonio Reeves pushed the lead back to eight with 3:26 to go.
GAME BALL:
Antonio Reeves, Kentucky - The senior transfer guard led the Cats with a +13 today, providing a huge spark off the bench. He knocked down two 3-pointers and was 8-of-8 at the free-throw line.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1st - Time that Kentucky has won on the road as an unranked team against a Top 5 opponent in program history.
2nd - Fewest points (56) ever allowed by an unranked UK squad against an opponent ranked in the Top 5. The Cats held No. 2 Michigan State to 46 points on Dec. 16, 2000.
+20 - The Cats' advantage on the glass, including a game-high 13 rebounds from Oscar Tshiebwe.
33-26 - After falling behind 8-0 to start the game, UK led by seven at halftime.
56 - Points matched the Vols’ lowest scoring total of the season.
88% - Kentucky at the free-throw line (22 of 25) after entering the game 12th in the SEC at 66% on the season.
159-77 - The Cats' lead in the all-time series with the Vols. UK improved to 58-53 in Knoxville.
QUOTABLE:
"We needed to win a game. To come up here and do this is incredible with all the clutter and all the other stuff these kids are dealing with." -- UK head coach John Calipari
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday at Rupp Arena against Georgia. Tipoff for the Cats and Bulldogs is slated for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. UGA (13-4, 3-1 SEC) is coming off a 62-58 win on Saturday at Ole Miss.
