Vanderbilt upset Kentucky in Nashville last month. Can the Cats get revenge without Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson? KSR’s LIVE BLOG will bring you all the sights and sounds from Rupp Arena as the No. 17 Wildcats host the Commodores (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
Kentucky is 3-3 since the first meeting, trading wins for losses as it navigates injuries. Vanderbilt is 1-4, the lone win coming over Texas. Three of those losses came to ranked opponents (Florida, Auburn, Tennessee) and the other was an eye-popping 30-point defeat at Oklahoma. Jason Edwards leads the ‘Dores with 17.6 points per game on 45.7% field-goal shooting. He had 18 vs. Kentucky last month. As we saw in the first meeting, Vandy is good at forcing turnovers, No. 2 in the SEC, so ball protection will be at a premium for Kentucky’s makeshift backcourt.
Can the Cats take care of business and get a little revenge? Refresh the feed below for updates and our takes on the game, from both Rupp Arena and the couch. You can also join the conversation on the KSBoard Game Thread or by texting your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
Kentucky couldn’t afford to lose this game. For one half, it was close, but the Cats did what they needed to do in the second, outscoring Vandy 41-21 after intermission. Almost everyone played well, with a surprising performance by Collin Chandler, who finished with a career-high 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 15 minutes. Otega Oweh led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Amari Williams, who was a perfect 6-6 from the field and 5-5 from the free-throw line, helping the Cats reclaim the paint in the second half.
Kentucky improves to 18-8 overall, 7-6 in the SEC. On to Alabama.
The Cats are officially in cruise control, up 24 with just over a minute and a half to go. This three by Ansley Almonor takes Kentucky’s mark from beyond the arc to 11-26.
The Lyon King is roaring! Travis Perry hit his second three of the night to push Kentucky’s lead to 20. Cats are rolling, hitting six of their last seven field goals.
Coming out of the media timeout, officials overturned a goaltending call on Amari Williams that gave Vanderbilt’s AJ Hoggard two points at the 8:07 mark. Kentucky now leads by 14.
Collin freaking Chandler, ladies and gentlemen. The freshman guard has been a big catalyst in Kentucky’s second-half run today, helping push the lead to 17 at one point. It’s down to 14 following a three by Chris Manon, but No. 5 has been excellent, totaling 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in just 14 minutes.
Kentucky’s big men are asserting themselves. Amari Williams and Andrew Carr have led Kentucky’s 9-0 run to push the lead to 12, forcing Vandy to call another timeout. Carr’s latest bucket was a three, taking his total tonight to nine points. It came off an assist by Collin Chandler, who continues to play his best game of the season.
The Dores are back within three after back-to-back buckets, both by Jaylen Carey. On the most recent, Amari Williams blocked Carey’s dunk, drawing a roar from the Rupp crowd, but Carey got the rebound and put it back in.
Now that’s how you start a half. The Cats are off to a 6-0 run, prompting Vandy to call a timeout. Included in that span were buckets by Andrew Carr, Amari Williams, and Otega Oweh; two blocked shots; a steal; and four stops. How’s that for some defense!
No Pei Pei tonight, unfortunately, so Rupp Arena dusted off the Snackwards Cam. The SNL Lookalike Cam was a fail, though, like all of the other lookalike cams. Please stop doing those, Rupp.
Kentucky had some momentum rolling into half thanks to that monster dunk by Amari Williams, but Vandy’s Devin McGlockton hit a layup at the buzzer to pull within one, 41-40. Kentucky’s defense remains an issue. Vanderbilt has 18 rebounds to Kentucky’s 12 and 20 points in the paint to the Cats’ 12. The stat I’m sure Mark Pope is showing to his team at half: Vanderbilt has eight offensive rebounds to Kentucky’s two.
We’re all tied with 1:14 to go in the half. Vanderbilt just called a timeout, following a three by Devin McGlockton, which took the sting off this Otega Oweh megablock:
Kentucky reclaimed the lead after my last update, but the ‘Dores are back in front following a bucket by Jason Edwards, prompting Mark Pope to call a timeout. Kentucky has only made one of its last nine field goals and is on a three-minute scoring drought. Collin Chandler, who has a career-high seven points, is on the bench with two fouls.
If you listened to this morning’s show, you heard Ryan Lemond weigh in on the debate over whether or not you should take babies to basketball games. Ryan argued the earliest you should take a kid to a sporting event is three years old, so I’m sure he’s got thoughts on these two babies behind Kentucky’s bench.
At the under-eight media timeout, Kentucky leads by five. Ansley Almonor scored the Cats’ last bucket, his second three. Both teams have cooled off a bit, Kentucky now 9-15 (60%) from the floor and Vandy 11-20 (55%). In good news, the Cats only have three turnovers so far. They turned it over 17 times in Nashville.
Kentucky needed someone to step up with Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson is out. Tonight, Collin Chandler is heeding that call. After an early three, the freshman just got a steal and worked his way to the basket through contact. Well done, No. 5.
Kentucky’s offense is humming (7-9 FG), but the defense is struggling to get stops (Vandy is 9-12 FG). This might be a shootout.
Am I going to make a separate update for every Koby Brea made three? I just might! Kentucky needs them that badly. Brea’s second three of the night put the Cats up 18-15. Ansley Almonor followed it up with a triple of his own to push the lead to 21-15. The Cats are 6-7 from the field so far, 4-5 from beyond the arc.
Collin Chandler was Kentucky’s first sub, coming in for Travis Perry. He quickly made his presence known, hitting a three to put Kentucky up 15-10. It was just Chandler’s fourth three of the season. Unfortunately, Vandy’s Chris Manon followed it up with a dunk and Otega Oweh turned it over on the other end.
Vandy will be at the line after the timeout following a foul on Andrew Carr.
Kentucky’s off to a hot start, making three of four shots, the latest by Otega Oweh, who was fouled and hit his free throw to make it 8-5 Cats just over two minutes in.
Koby Brea didn’t make a single field goal at Texas, going 0-5 from the floor, 0-4 from beyond the arc. He just scored the first bucket of tonight’s game, a stepback three. That’s a great sign, right?
Mark Pope is switching things up a bit. Travis Perry will make his second straight start, but Andrew Carr is also back in the starting lineup. Carr hasn’t started since the game vs. Alabama on Jan. 18, with Ansley Almonor filling his spot.
11 Travis Perry 00 Otega Oweh 04 Koby Brea 07 Andrew Carr 22 Amari Williams
Text Machine is ready to turn the TV down and the radio up
02/19/2025 05:37:53 PM
If you’d like to as well, check out Drew Franklin’s tutorial from earlier this week. Text your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
For the first time since January 11, Kentucky’s road trip to Mississippi State, the Cats are back on the SEC Network. Roy Philpott and Daymeon Fishback are on the call tonight. Here are the other details on how to watch and listen:
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Television: SEC Network (Roy Philpott and Daymeon Fishback)
Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
With Lamont Butler out, Travis Perry will likely get his second career start at point guard. He was the first on the floor for warmups, which are now underway at Rupp.
To no one’s surprise, Lamont Butler (shoulder) and Jaxson Robinson (wrist) are still listed as out on the final SEC Availability Report, as is Vanderbilt graduate guard Alex Hemenway, who has yet to play this season.
Times are tough for Alabama basketball, but the Crimson Tide has to be tougher on Saturday.Looking to pay back Alabama (21-5, 10-3 SEC) for the defeat in Rupp A
LEXINGTON, Ky. — No. 17 Kentucky took advantage of its size to start the second half to pull away for an 82-61 win Wednesday night over Vanderbilt.
What Yo
The Kentucky Wildcats got found on Wednesday night when they beat the Vanderbilt Commodores, 82-61.
The Wildcats lost at Vanderbilt last month, where they sc
The Kentucky Wildcats pummeled the Vanderbilt Commodores by a score of 82-61 in Lexington on Wednesday night.
The Cats apparently did not take Saturday’s l
