The Kentucky Wildcats‘ second-half surge proved to be enough as they came away with a 90-89 overtime victory over the No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs. Saturday night’s win put the Wildcats at 8-1 on the season.

The BBN faithful were left hopeless going into halftime as the Cats trailed by 16 and then 18 a couple of minutes into the start of the second half, but the team’s resiliency propelled them to a massive triumph over the Zags.

Without their starting point guard Lamont Butler and having to be without backup guard Kerr Kriisa due to injury midway through the second half, Jaxson Robinson took charge and had his best game in a Wildcat uniform to date as he finished with 18 points to go along with five assists.

Andrew Carr also was spectacular in the clutch, finishing with a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds.

Gonzaga went into halftime Saturday night with a record of 175 straight victories over opponents when leading by double digits at halftime. The Wildcats ended that streak.

It should also be noted that, after the win, Mark Pope is now the second coach in Kentucky men’s basketball history behind legendary UK coach Adolph Rupp to win their first two games against AP top-10 opponents.

Who were the shining stars for the Wildcats in Saturday night’s come-from-behind victory against the Zags?

Brandon Garrison

Garrison has been a huge factor off the bench, especially in the two biggest games so far this season. Garrison finished with a near-double-double with his 10-point, nine-rebound performance. He also chipped in an assist and a block.

Without his contribution off the bench in the wins against Gonzaga and Duke, it’s very likely that the Cats are on the wrong end of both games.

Andrew Carr

Carr proved to be too much for the Gonzaga bigs to handle Saturday night, as he had his way yet again with 19 points and seven rebounds. Carr has been a mismatch nightmare for opposing bigs throughout the season. The big-time plays he’s made in key moments, such as the Duke game and again this past Saturday, have been so impressive.

If you double-team him, he can pass it out. If you get caught being off-balanced, he makes you pay. Despite him missing the two free throws in overtime with seconds left in Saturday night’s game, he got back into the play and had the game-winning deflection against Gonzaga guard Dusty Stromer that sealed the victory.

Jaxson Robinson

Before Saturday’s game, many questioned Robinson’s ability to show up in big-time games. Although he struggled tremendously in the first half, he then was able to put the people’s questions about his ability to show up when it mattered to rest.

Robinson, who was held to three points at halftime, scored 15 second-half points (including OT), which ended up being his best game by far in a Kentucky uniform. Without Lamont Butler, while Kerr Kriisa had to leave the game with an injury, Robinson delivered when it mattered the most, including him hitting shot after shot before OT. He also had the go-ahead floater that put the Cats up by four in the final seconds in OT.

Robinson finished with a season-high five assists vs. no turnovers. For those asking if Robinson could be that guy when Kentucky needs a go-ahead basket and if he can be reliable in big-time games, Saturday night proved that he’s more than capable of delivering in the biggest moments.

Mark Pope

Coach Pope put on a coaching clinic in the second half, throwing the 1-3-1 zone defense at Gonzaga coming out of halftime, which helped fuel the Wildcats’ monstrous comeback. Gonzaga had 52 points in the first half and was held to just 37 the rest of the second half and overtime. That’s how out of sorts the Zags’ offense was from that point on due to Pope’s 1-3-1 defense.

Another defining moment of the game was when Pope switched Robinson to point guard after Kriisa went down midway through the second with an injury that caused him to leave the game. That adjustment by Coach Pope helped propel the Wildcats’ offense, as Robinson continued to hit many crucial shots down the stretch in those instances.

Fans could not have asked for a better start from Pope through his first nine games as the Kentucky head coach.

Let me know in the comments who you came out high on in Kentucky’s unforgettable comeback victory over the Zags Saturday night!