Going into the season, many college basketball observers pondered whether Kentucky's completely renovated roster had a "go-to guy" on it.
The Wildcats may have found one in late February.
Junior guard Otega Oweh scored Kentucky's final 18 points, including the game-winner on a driving bank shot with six seconds left, as the No. 17 Wildcats escaped with a thrilling 83-82 victory over Oklahoma in their first trip to Norman.
Oweh finished with a career-high 28 points -- 23 coming in the second half -- against his old Sooners team.
"I thought it was really an incredible effort," UK head coach Mark Pope said, "especially because his first 32 minutes were so incredibly shaky. There was a lot of frustration rolling around our team, and Otega was super-frustrated. It wasn't his finest 32 (minutes) but the thing about Otega that we've learned all season is that he's just kinda always around the corner from making huge plays. Sometimes you just have to kinda look away.
"What an epic performance by him. Unbelievable down the stretch."
Kentucky (19-9, 8-7 SEC) also got 12 points, four rebounds, three blocked shots, and three steals from sophomore center Brandon Garrison in 27 minutes off the bench. The 7-footer was in the middle of the Cats' final defensive stop of the night, denying Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears on a last-second drive into the lane.
"He was elite defensively," Pope said. "... He has a really, really high ceiling, and there's so much more growth left in him."
Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson returned to the UK lineup after missing several games due to injuries. Butler scored seven points and dished out six assists before fouling out with just over four minutes remaining in the game. Robinson scored seven points in the first half before reaggravating his wrist injury and sitting the final 20 minutes of play.
Oklahoma (17-11, 4-11 SEC) shot 53% from the field, including a 58% performance in the second half, and made 10 3-pointers but it wasn't enough to overcome Oweh's individual greatness. Jalon Moore and Fears scored 20 and 18 points, respectively, for the Sooners.
*****
In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
KEY MOMENT:
Kentucky faced its biggest deficit of the game (68-63) midway through the second half, and the Wildcats were reeling on both ends of the floor. Oklahoma had all of the momentum. Lamont Butler stopped the bleeding by getting to the free-throw line with 9:20 to play. Those were the final points scored by anyone other than Otega Oweh in a blue uniform. On three occasions, Oweh made a basket to tie the game after the Sooners had just taken the lead. On two others, Oweh made a bucket to give the Cats the lead after falling behind by one. Kentucky needed every one of them.
GAME BALL:
Otega Oweh, Kentucky -- It's been a while since Big Blue Nation has seen a player put the Cats on his back the way Oweh did in this game. The junior guard scored UK's final 18 points spanning 8:38 on a pair of jumpers, four layups, two dunks, and two free throws. When the dust settled, he had a new career-high of 28 points.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1st - Time that Kentucky has won a true road game in the SEC when the opponent scored at least 82 points, shot at least 52%, and made at least 10 shots from the 3-point arc.
4-0 - The Wildcats' all-time record against the Sooners. This was the first time the schools had played in Norman, Okla.
9th - Quad 1 victory for UK this season.
12:51 - Time of the last field goal made by a Kentucky player (Amari Williams) other than Otega Oweh.
15 - Turnovers forced by the Cats, leading to 16 points.
34-31 - Oklahoma rebounding advantage.The Sooners entered the matchup last in the SEC in rebounding. But they had only five second-chance points on the night.
QUOTABLE:
"This felt like a first-round NCAA Tournament game." -- Kentucky head coach Mark Pope
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action on Saturday at Rupp Arena against No. 1 Auburn. Bruce Pearl's Tigers (26-2, 14-1SEC) blasted Ole Miss 106-76 on Wednesday night.
