Kentucky learned this week that it may be able to survive middle-of-the-pack SEC teams without an injured Reid Travis and less than a full effort but not the league's elite.

Tennessee overpowered the No. 4 Wildcats on Saturday in Knoxville, avenging the lopsided loss at Rupp Arena that knocked them from the nation's top ranking with a 71-52 romp at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"It looked as though we were intimidated by the environment, which we haven't been all year, so I don't get it," UK head coach John Calipari said. "But with Reid being out, this is what happens. You don't have that one guy that will fight."

The No. 7 Volunteers got 27 points from junior point guard Jordan Bone and 24 points from junior forward Grant Williams to notch their 25th consecutive win on their home floor.

A bigger story, however, was the defensive effort by Tennessee. The Wildcats finished with more turnovers (17) than made buckets (14), shot an abysmal 32 percent from the field, and posted their worst scoring output of the season.

Kentucky suffered through a 9:32 stretch without a field goal in the first half and a 7:13 span in the second half.

PJ Washington was the lone Wildcat in double figures with 13 points. The sophomore forward picked up two fouls in the first half and sat for more than eight minutes of play as the Vols turned a one-point lead into a 37-24 advantage at the break.

Tennessee led by as many as 20 points early in the second half, and UK never truly threatened a comeback.

The win, paired with LSU's victory at Alabama on Saturday, kept the Vols in a first-place tie with the Tigers atop the SEC standings. Kentucky dropped out of the three-way tie with two regular season games left to play.

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

THE GOOD:

It's over and out of the way. Everyone knew (or should have known) that UK was going into a hornets nest today. The Vols were embarrassed in Lexington and they were going to bring their very best to the court in the rematch. The Cats have to put it behind them and get refocused for a solid Ole Miss team on Tuesday night.

THE BAD:

With PJ Washington sidelined with foul trouble and Reid Travis sitting on the bench in street clothes, the Cats had nothing resembling a half-court offense. That allowed the Vols to finish the first half with an 18-6 spurt to effectively take control of the game. If you're looking for a UK Achilles Heel for the NCAA Tournament, foul trouble for Washington may be it.

THE UGLY:

The last two first halves that Kentucky has played, the defense has not been up to the standard we've seen all season long. The Cats forced one turnover in the first half against Arkansas, prompting Calipari to call them the Washington Generals, and they followed that up by forcing only two turnovers in the first half today against Tennessee. It all begins at the point, Calipari will tell you, and Ashton Hagans was beaten badly on this day by his UT counterpart Jordan Bone.

GAME BALL:

Jordan Bone, Tennessee -- Prior to the game, Calipari said the Vols' point guard was the player that concerned him most. It was warranted. Bone dominated the game on both ends of the floor from start to finish. In addition to his game-high 27 points, he also had three assists, no turnovers, and two steals in 35 minutes of action.

BY THE NUMBERS:

4 - Straight wins by UT over UK in Knoxville.

4-for-20 - Shooting by UK freshman wings Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson.

5 - Turnovers for the Vols.

5-of-19 - Kentucky shooting from 3-point range.

18 - Points off turnovers for UT.

72 - All-time wins by UT over UK, the most by any opponent of the Cats.

21,729 - Attendance at Thompson-Boling Arena.

QUOTABLE:

"We got spanked pretty good. We did it to them at our place, they did it to us at their place, and we move on." -- UK head coach John Calipari

UP NEXT:

Kentucky has to regroup for what could be a difficult challenge Tuesday night at Ole Miss. The Rebels (19-10, 9-7 SEC) dropped a 74-73 decision on Saturday at Arkansas. Tipoff for the Cats and Rebels is slated for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.