Do you expect Kentucky basketball to beat the Missouri Tigers?
Missouri State fought their way to a 16-point lead with 14:33 left in the game and took the lead with just over two minutes left.
Thankfully, Kentucky’s defense was tight and their offense was just right, ultimately winning 78-72.
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Everyone exhales. and get ready for Friday afternoon’s quarterfinal game against Florida State.
first half
Kentucky’s intensity was evident early on as Missouri’s leading shot blocker, Shawn Phillips Jr., picked up two fouls in the first 2 minutes and 58 seconds. In the first 5 minutes and 28 seconds, the Wildcats led 9-7.
The Cats went on a 7-0 run to take a 14-7 lead, and Missouri answered with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 14-12. They ended up picking up two fouls on Denzel Aberdeen, sending him to the bench. But the Cats weathered the storm and held on to take a 28-20 lead.
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They extended the lead on a Kam Williams three-pointer and Otgea Oweh’s steal of an Aberdeen jumper. Big Blue Nation has found its footing, and Bridgestone Arena is shaky. The Cats led 35-24 at the under-four media timeout and 2:50 left in the first half.
Despite making 2 of 11 three-pointers in the first half, Kentucky still led by 12 points. Missouri shot just 2-for-7 from three-point range.
In addition, Kentucky only committed 4 turnovers in the first half but had 10 assists. They also forced seven Missouri turnovers and held the Tigers to just two assists.
second half
Collin Chandler’s 3-pointer tied the game for the Cats, sparking a 7-2 run that extended the lead to 45-31 at 2:20 of the second half. The Cats led by 16 points with 14:33 left, but Missouri State went on a 7-0 run and scored 5-6 from the field to make it 53-44 with 12:57 left.
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However, Ortega Owe hit a three-pointer from the second corner of the second half. But Missouri then started closing the gap, taking shots and driving to the rim with ease. With 10 minutes and 28 seconds left in the game, a 6-0 surge pushed the score to 58-53.
The lead was down to three, 60-57, with just over eight minutes left in the game until the under-eight media timeout.
Colin Chandler hit a three-pointer to give Kentucky a 63-57 lead, and then Ovi made a jumper to make it 65-58.
The Cats then turned up the heat on the offensive glass, leading to two free throws from Denzel Aberdeen.
But no matter how much Kentucky leads, Missouri isn’t going anywhere. With 2 minutes and 51 seconds left in the game, they trailed 68-69. After the Tigers took a 70-69 lead, Aberdeen made two free throws and the Cats regained the lead at 71-70. Ove then hit a running shot to make it 73-70 with 1:06 left in the game.
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After the timeout, Kentucky scored again in Aberdeen, extending the lead to 75-70 with 22.5 seconds left.
Missouri missed an open layup on its ensuing possession, giving Otega Oweh a chance to freeze the game at the free throw line. He hit one of two shots and the Cats led 76-70.
Denzel Aberdeen hit two free throws to help Kentucky win 78-72.
Highlights
MVP: Ortega Ove
Ove is calm at first, but eventually comes out strong. After scoring just 6 points in the first half, Ove put on a great performance in the second half. That’s what you expect from the best players and leading scorers. Ovi scored 21 points in the game, including 15 in the second half. He also hit two three-pointers in the second half.
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box score
Kentucky vs Missouri Twitter Reactions
Big Blue Nation is all focused on this. Here are the best reactions from Big Blue during Thursday’s game.
