In every game away from Rupp Arena this season, Kentucky has trailed by double digits. They\u2019ve fallen behind by 16 points in six of those seven games. The last two have somehow resulted in wins, and it\u2019s still hard to believe. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat it says about these guys\u2019 resilience and toughness is that I hope nobody\u2019s missing it,\u201d Mark Pope said after the win<\/a>. <\/p>\n The second half was a wild ride. Kentucky knocked down 6-10 three-pointers after intermission, but they just couldn\u2019t get over the hump. The Cats would make it a 4-point game before hitting a wall. Could they find a way to break through? <\/p>\n The breakthrough happened on a Tennessee turnover in the final minute. Collin Chandler<\/a> jumped into a passing lane and got the ball to Otega Oweh<\/a> for an And One in transition. He missed the free throw, but the Cats corralled the ball for a second-chance bucket, giving the Cats a 3-point lead with a dozen seconds to play. It was just enough to hold on for an 80-78 win in Knoxville. <\/p>\n Numbers You Need to Know<\/p>\n 4 \u2014 Straight wins in Knoxville for Kentucky Kentucky Cleaned the Glass in the Second Half<\/p>\n Sometimes numbers can be deceiving. That was not the case on the glass on Saturday. <\/p>\n At one point during the second half, Dan Shulman remarked, \u201cThat\u2019s a team offensive rebound for Kentucky, their first of the game.\u201d Tennessee dominated the glass for the first 20 minutes. The script was flipped in the second half. That second-chance bucket was the first of many. All 14 of Kentucky\u2019s offensive rebounds came in the second half, turning into 19 points for the Wildcats. Mo Dioubate<\/a> had four offensive rebounds, keeping possessions, and the Cats\u2019 comeback hopes, alive. <\/p>\n Fight!<\/p>\n \u201cAct like you\u2019ve been there before.\u201d That cliche typically applies to those who win. In this case, it should serve as a remind to the Tennessee Volunteers. No matter how many times they lose, they still haven\u2019t figured out how to do it gracefully. <\/p>\n In the least surprising moment from the game, once the final horn sounded, the Vols tried to fight the Cats. If you can\u2019t beat \u2019em, fight \u2019em. Mark Pope was quick to intervene<\/a>, rushing from the bench to keep Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison clear of the Vols. The pushing and shoving did not escalate. The escalation was saved for the postgame locker room celebration. <\/p>\n Two Impressive Kentucky Performances<\/p>\n It was a total group effort for Kentucky in Knoxville, but a couple of guards deserve an additional tip of the cap. The Cats went seven minutes without a made field goal in the first half. Jasper Johnson<\/a> broke the drought. The freshman has played sparingly, but he kept the boat afloat, scoring all 12 of his points before halftime. <\/p>\n Just like the game in Baton Rouge, Denzel Aberdeen<\/a> served as the second-half spark plug. He scored 18 of his 22 points after intermission. When things got tight, his midrange floater kept the pressure on Tennessee until the Vols broke. <\/p>\n More from the Kentucky Win over Tennessee <\/p>\n Cardiac Cats? Hitting Rock Bottom Helped Kentucky Find Its Heart Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.<\/a><\/p>\n Deone Walker Shines in NFL Playoffs<\/p>\n Buffalo gave Bills\u2019 fans hypertension on Saturday afternoon. A late first-half turnover got the snowball rolling in the wrong direction. They trailed by 13 points early in the third quarter, when a former Kentucky Wildcat helped spark a comeback. Rookie Deone Walker<\/a> jumped into a passing lane to pick off Bo Nix<\/a>, giving the Bills the ball deep into Denver territory. <\/p>\n Unfortunately, Josh Allen responded with an interception of his own, but Buffalo found a way to overcome that 13-point deficit and take the lead. Denver scored in the final minute, giving Allen enough time to set up a game-tying field goal in the final seconds of regulation. The Bills couldn\u2019t get a call to go their way in overtime, ultimately falling 33-30 to Denver, who will host the AFC Championship Game next weekend without their starting quarterback. <\/p>\n The nightcap wasn\u2019t nearly as entertaining. Seattle returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, setting up an NFC West rout. We\u2019ve got two more Divisional Playoff game on the slate Sunday afternoon. <\/p>\n 3:00 | Texans (+3) at Patriots | ESPN Kentucky WBB Hits the Road<\/p>\n The Wildcats survived a scare on Thursday against Florida. They trailed by six points, but used a 28-16 fourth quarter to rally for a win. Today, they\u2019re back on the road in SEC play. Mississippi State will host the seventh-ranked Wildcats at The Hump. Kentucky is averaging 9.1 made threes per game, ranking in the Top 20 nationally. Hopefully, there is more string music for the Wildcats in Starkville. Tip-off is set for 3 PM ET and can be streamed on SECN+. <\/p>\n
6 \u2014 UK wins in the last seven trips to the Food City Center
1:44 \u2014 Total time Kentucky had a lead in the wins at Tennessee and LSU
9 \u2014 Years since a team won consecutive road games where they trailed by 15+ points. FAU did it in 2017.
2 \u2014 Correct challenges by Mark Pope<\/p>\n![\"Kentucky](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/G-5FEsSXoAAfwzE-1024x683.jpeg\")
Kentucky players dump water on Mark Pope after beating Tennessee \u2013 Photo by UK Athletics<\/p>\n
<\/a>Aberdeen made every right decision down the stretch
<\/a>Mo D\u2019s Toughness Led the Way for UK
<\/a>Drew Franklin Sang Rocky Top on the KSR Postgame Show<\/a>
5 Takeaways from Another Insane Comeback
<\/a>Rick Barnes Fights Back Voluntears in Press Conference<\/a>
The Comeback by the Numbers
<\/a>Pope, Aberdeen, Chandler talk about ANOTHER win over Tennessee<\/a>
Don\u2019t Overlook Jasper Johnson\u2019s Impressive First Half
<\/a>Oweh wasn\u2019t his best, but made plays when Kentucky needed them<\/a>
Highlights from the Kentucky Win<\/a>
Kentucky Owns Knoxville<\/a>
Cats Flipped the Script with Second Chance Points<\/a>
Recapping the Kentucky win in Knoxville<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
6:30 | Rams (-3.5) at Bears | NBC<\/p>\n