Kentucky passed its first road test of the season.

The No. 14 Wildcats outscored Georgia 25-12 over the final 8:39 of Tuesday's game in Athens to post a hard-fought 78-69 win.

All five players on the floor contributed mightily down the stretch as Kentucky (11-3, 2-0 SEC) delivered one of its best team performances of the season.

The decisive spurt included a low-post bucket by Nate Sestina; a pair of 3-pointers by Immanuel Quickley; a three-point play by Nick Richards; a driving layup by Tyrese Maxey; and several plays on both ends of the floor by Ashton Hagans, who bounced back from his ankle injury Saturday against Missouri to play well in his home state for the second straight year.

"Nate really spreads the court out for us," UK head coach John Calipari said. "I just rode those five -- the three guards, Nick, and Nate."

Richards and Maxey each scored 17 points to lead the Cats. Quickley and Hagans followed with 15 and 13, respectively. Sestina nearly gave UK a fifth player in double figures with eight.

Hagans made one of the most important plays of the night after Georgia took a 37-28 lead with 11 seconds left in the first half. His 3-pointer from the top of the key took a bite out of the Bulldogs' momentum and gave the Cats new life going into the locker room.

"Thank goodness Ashton makes that play or it could have been a 15-point game early in the second half," Calipari said.

Georgia (10-4, 0-1 SEC) was coming off an upset of No. 9 Memphis over the weekend and looking to make a statement with back-to-back wins over ranked opponents. Freshman forward Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 23 points to give the Bulldogs a shot, but his team managed only two buckets over the final 6:04 of the game as UK pulled away.

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In this Cats Illustrated "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory…

THE GOOD:

Kentucky got strong performances from just about every player who stepped on the court tonight. In addition to the four Cats in double figures, Nate Sestina almost joined them with eight, all in the second half, and most of them coming when UK really needed a bucket. Keion Brooks had six points early. E.J. Montgomery had seven rebounds. It was a feel-good game for almost everyone.

THE BAD:

The Cats entered the night fourth in the NCAA in team free-throw shooting at 80.1% Somehow, they managed to go 10-of-20, including the front end of three bonus situations. This could have been a much more comfortable win with their typical effort at the charity stripe.

THE UGLY:

Nick Richards seemed to be targeted for the second straight game on some questionable fouls in the post. He picked up his second foul with 12:07 left in the first half, jockeying for position with a UGA defender who had grabbed Richards' jersey, and sat the rest of the period. Georgia built a nine-point lead without the big man on the floor.

GAME BALL:

Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky -- The freshman combo guard flirted with a triple-double, posting 17 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. He also chipped in with four blocked shots and a steal on the defensive end of the floor.

BY THE NUMBERS:

1st - Player in the Calipari era at Kentucky to have a game with 17 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and four blocked shots -- Tyrese Maxey.

13 - Win streak for UK over UGA.

15 - Assists for UK's three main guards, Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, and Immanuel Quickley.

21 - Points off turnovers for Kentucky.

23-12 - Kentucky rebounding advantage in the second half after being minus-5 in the first half.

47 - Points in the second half for the Cats, matching their best of the season previously set against Utah Valley.

50-50-50 - Kentucky's percentage from the field (31-62), the arc (6-12), and the free-throw line (10-20).

128-26 - Kentucky's lead in the all-time series with Georgia.

999th - SEC win in UK program history.

QUOTABLE:

"Big shot. We were just trying to survive and get to the locker room. Thank goodness Ashton makes that play or it could have been a 15-point game early in the second half," -- UK head coach John Calipari on getting a late 3-pointer from Ashton Hagans to end the first half and cut a nine-point deficit to six.

UP NEXT:

Kentucky returns to action Saturday at Rupp Arena against Alabama. Tipoff is slated for Noon ET on ESPN. The Crimson Tide (7-6, 0-1 SEC) will play Mississippi State (9-4, 0-1 SEC) on Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa before making the trip to Lexington.