KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME

RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY

JAN. 18, 2025
ATTENDANCE: 21,108

Final Score: No. 4/5 Alabama 102, No. 8/9 Kentucky 97

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is now 14-4, 3-2 in the Southeastern Conference. Alabama is 15-3 overall, 4-1 in league play.
• Kentucky leads the series 117-42.
  • UK leads 60-12 in games played in Lexington.
  • This marked the seventh time that UK and Alabama have met with both teams ranked in The Associated Press top 10, the first time since 1983. UK leads 4-3 in those games.
• Mark Pope is 201-112 as head coach, including 14-4 at Kentucky.
• Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats have a midweek open date before Saturday’s game at Vanderbilt. Game time is 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. CT in Nashville) and it will be televised on ESPN.

Team Notes

• Today’s game marked the third straight home contest against a Top-15 team (also Florida and Texas A&M), the first time in school history that has happened.
  • This marked the fifth time in school history that UK played three straight regular-season games against a Top-15 opponent.
• Alabama and Kentucky entered the game ranking first and third in the nation, respectively, in points per game. Averaging a combined 178.2 points entering today, the teams totaled 199 in today’s contest.
• This was Kentucky’s first home loss of the season after winning the first 11 at home.
• Seven Wildcats scored in double figures.

Player Notes  

• Otega Oweh tied his season high with 21 points, the fourth time he has hit that mark. He has scored in double figures in every game this season.
  • He had two steals, his sixth straight game with multiple thefts and 11th of the season.
• Lamont Butler had 17 points and tied his career high for assists with eight, the third game this season with eight.
  • He has had at least seven assists in four of the five SEC games.
  • He also tied a career best for blocked shots with two.
• Amari Williams nabbed 13 points and 11 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season.
• Brandon Garrison collected 11 points, six rebounds and five assists in less than 19 minutes of action.  It is his third double-figure scoring game of the season.
• Jaxson Robinson had 11 points, his third straight double-figure game and 13th of the season.
• Koby Breatossed in 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.  He has made a 3-pointer in every game this season and 33-straight contests overall.
  • He also had a career best for blocked shots with three.
• Ansley Almonor had his fourth double-figure game of the season with 10 points.

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starters were Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carrand Amari Williams.  UK has a 12-4 record with this lineup.
• Koby Brea, Brandon Garrison and Travis Perry were the first substitutions at 15:41.
• Kentucky jumped out to a 7-2 lead but Alabama took the lead with 11 quick points, including a trio of 3-pointers.
• Both teams stayed hot, and midway through the half, the game was tied at 28.
• Trailing 40-37, Alabama closed the half on a 10-5 run and led 47-45 at intermission.
  • Alabama’s Grant Nelson led all scorers with 19 points while Oweh and Williams paced Kentucky with eight each.
  • UK is now 2-4 this season when trailing at halftime.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starters.
• Trailing 58-56, Alabama took the lead with a 10-0 run.
• Kentucky eventually rallied to tie at 81 but Alabama took control with a 9-0 spurt and hung on to win the game.