Photo by SEC
Kentucky extended its winning streak to three, telling Tennessee to bite the curb, then stepping on their faces for 40 minutes. The Wildcats have now won two straight wins at Thompson-Boling after beating Tennessee 70-55, their first win over a top 25 team this season.
Tennessee could not do anything to slow down Kentucky in the first half. Davion Mintz was not shy, he came out of three in transition without hesitation and hit the back of the net. He hit the first five three-point attempts, while Isaiah Jackson abused the inside flight. He had 13 points, a pair of blocked shots and a lightning strike before the break.
As excellent as the offense was in the first half, Kentucky struggled to make shots after the break. The easy transition buckets are gone, as the UK took only 4/23 photos during the expiration of the press under four years, but it was still led by 20 points thanks to the whistles that put Kentucky on the free throw line. Wild cats have proven to be free, draining 17 out of 20 to keep Vols at bay.
Defending Kentucky deserves a lot of credit for today’s victory. Tennessee has averaged over 82 points in its last four games. On Saturday afternoon, the Vols made only 32.1% of hits, including 6 of 22 behind the three-point line.
The Great Blue Nation wondered if this team would ever turn a corner. As usual, wild cats step in time for the post-season.