LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Sean Woods made his return to Rupp Arena on Tuesday determined to lead his Southern Jaguars to an upset of No. 10 Kentucky.

The former Wildcat star ran into a matchup, however, that he could not overcome in the form of UK's Oscar Tshiebwe.

The junior big man from The Democratic Republic of The Congo scored a game-high 23 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked four shots as the Cats outlasted the gritty Jags 76-64 in the first game of a new "Unity Series" between Kentucky and traditional HBCU programs.

"I thought the players who were supposed to make the plays for them made them," Woods said of the Cats. "I thought Oscar was the difference down the stretch. He took advantage of our switching."

Twelve of Tshiebwe's points game in the final eight minutes of play.

Said Woods: "He answered the bell. That’s why he’s one of the best big guys in the country."

Thanks in large part to that performance, Kentucky (7-1) shot 49% from the field and held a 41-25 rebounding advantage to overcome an uncharacteristic 15-turnover night. The Cats also made only six of 20 shots from beyond the arc and missed nine of their 23 free-throw attempts in allowing the 30-point underdog to hang within striking distance the entire game.

"Thank goodness we won because they played harder than us," UK coach John Calipari said. "Sean did a better job of coaching his team than I did."

“It was good coming home," Woods said. "Thought I could sneak one. Couple plays here and there down the stretch got (Kentucky) separation to where we couldn’t have enough time to get it. But I’m proud of our guys for answering the bell in an environment like this. We’ve got things to build on."

Southern (3-6), which has already tested itself against P5 competition like Louisville and Nebraska this season, was led by junior guard Jayden Saddler with 18 points and six assists. Brion Whitley and Tyrone Lyons added 14 and 12, respectively, for the Jaguars.

Freshman guard TyTy Washington complemented Tshiebwe's big night with a 14-point, six-assist effort. Grad senior guard Davion Mintz added nine points in his return for an illness that cost him the last three games.

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In this Rapid Recap feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...

GAME BALL:

Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky -- The big man from The Congo delivered his seventh double-double in eight games this season, posting 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field and pulling down 11 rebounds. He also blocked four shots for good measure.

BY THE NUMBERS:

6 of 20 - Kentucky's 3-point shooting.

9 - Missed free throws by the Cats, who went 14 of 23 at the charity stripe. They entered the game shooting 78%

12 - Margin of victory for both Kentucky and Louisville against Southern this season. The Cardinals topped the Jaguars 72-60 in the season opener.

+16 - Rebounding advantage for UK, who won the battle on the glass 41-25.

21 - Points for Southern off 15 UK turnovers, 33% of the Jaguars' offensive production.

10:04 - Time that Southern held the lead in the game.

QUOTABLE:

"“I envy my players every day because I wish I could still play basketball. And I’d give anything to go back and have my experience I had at the University of Kentucky. You know the guys I played with. We went through some things any other player at the University of Kentucky has gone through. It was tough, but it was rewarding. ... So every time I get a chance to come here, I just get emotional because I gave a lot of my life and everything I had, and I did everything people asked me to do at this university. And it was very rewarding afterwards. And this university has made me the man and coach that I am today.” -- Southern coach Sean Woods, whose No. 11 jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena as a member of "The Unforgettables" squad of 1991-92.

UP NEXT:

The Cats travel to South Bend, Ind., to face Notre Dame (3-4) on Saturday. Tipoff for the Wildcats and Fighting Irish is slated for 5:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Mike Brey's squad is coming off a 73-57 loss at Boston College.