Kentucky suffered one of its worst losses in program history for an SEC opener, falling 89-75 on Wednesday night at Missouri in a game that was much more lopsided than its final score suggested.
The lifeless Wildcats (8-4, 0-1 SEC) trailed for the final 38 minutes and 15 seconds and by as many as 21 points late in the game. UK entered the matchup ranked No. 19 and as a three-point favorite.
"Well, they were good and we weren't," said a dumbfounded Kentucky head coach John Calipari.
It marked the second-most lopsided defeat in a league opener by a UK team. The 1964-65 Cats lost 97-79 to Vanderbilt.
Missouri (12-1, 1-0 SEC) continued an impressive start to its season with a second straight win over a ranked opponent. The Tigers were coming off a 93-71 upset of No. 16 Illinois on Dec. 22.
Much like that game, Mizzou was powered by senior swingman Kobe Brown. He followed up his 31-point performance against the Illini with a 30-point effort against the Cats. The Tigers also got 15 points from D'Moi Hodge and 12 apiece from Sean East II and DeAndre Gholston.
Missouri shot 49% from the field (28 of 57), 40% from the 3-point arc (10 of 25), and 82% at the free-throw line (23 of 28) in a dominant offensive performance.
Kentucky padded its stats with some late scoring during "garbage time" to make the final tally more respectable, but had familiar issues like free-throw shooting (15 of 24, 63%) and turnovers (14) raise their ugly heads once again against good competition.
Reigning national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe had 23 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Cats, and Cason Wallace added 19 points for UK, but they had very little help from the rest of the roster.
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In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK loss...
KEY MOMENT:
Tipoff? One of the more surprising aspects of this Kentucky loss is that it was never competitive. The Cats led only once -- at 3-2 on an early Cason Wallace 3-pointer -- and found itself in a 12-5 hole by the first media timeout. There was no real decisive moment in this game, which is a rarity for the Cats, even in most of their losses. Kentucky sliced the lead to nine with 12:45 remaining, but promptly gave up a 13-4 run that included three straight 3-pointers by the Tigers to seal the game.
GAME BALL:
Kobe Brown, Missouri -- The Tigers' senior swingman continued an impressive start to his season, torching UK for 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor and a 4-for-8 night from beyond the arc.
BY THE NUMBERS:
0 - Points for Kentucky's Jacob Toppin and CJ Fredrick in 17 combined minutes of action.
9 - Steals by Missouri.
14 - Points off UK turnovers for the Tigers.
14-3 - Kentucky lead in the all-time series against Missouri. All three Tigers wins have come in Columbia.
17-8 - Fast-break points advantage for Missouri.
33-13 - Bench scoring advantage for Missouri.
QUOTABLE:
"I've got to look at some things. Some of it's personnel. We've got guys who get in these games, and they're just not performing." -- UK head coach John Calipari
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns home to face in-state rival Louisville on New Years's Eve at Rupp Arena. Kenny Payne's Cardinals (2-11) are coming off a 76-64 loss to NC State. Tipoff is scheduled for Noon ET on CBS.
