Recap and Takeaways From Kentucky’s Big Win at Tennessee

Originally posted on KY Insider | By Wyatt Huff | Last updated 3/11/24

Kentucky got a massive win on Saturday at Tennessee, with a thrilling 85-81 victory. With the win, Kentucky clinched a double-bye in the SEC Tournament. It was Antonio Reeves and Reed Sheppard who led the way, both with 27 points. Justin Edwards added 16 points, and Rob Dillingham with 11 points.

Let’s take a look at how Kentucky pulled the big win off in Knoxville.

Reeves and Sheppard led the way

Both Antonio Reeves and Reed Sheppard were unconscious on Saturday, combining for 54 of Kentucky’s 85 points, with 27 each. They combined for 10 made threes on 15 attempts, which is an incredible stat.

They made big shots down the stretch to help seal the win, especially Sheppard, who hit two threes in the final four minutes to give Kentucky a boost.

Kentucky was raining threes

The Cats shot an unbelievable 51% from three-point range, shooting 15-29. Reed Sheppard had 7 of those on 10 attempts, while Justin Edwards went 4-7, and Antonio Reeves was 3-4 from deep.

It was big shot after big shot that helped Kentucky to the win down the stretch. Despite a Tennessee run in the final minutes, Kentucky hit the clutch shots to get it done.

Defense was on point all night

Besides giving up a 9-0 run in the final minutes to make fans sweat, Kentucky’s defense was absolutely suffocating all night. Sure, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht had 40 points, but it was on 14-29 shots, and was forced to create some offense, as he had just under half of Tennessee’s total points, and had an incredible performance.

Kentucky held Tennessee to just 37% overall, and 33% from three-point range. The Cats also had 9 blocks, four of which were by Ugonna Onyenso, as well as 5 steals as a team. Adou Thiero also contributed to Kentucky’s low-post presence with 2 blocks of his own.

Kentucky needed this win for their SEC Tournament seeding, but it will certainly help on Selection Sunday, too. The Wildcats close the regular season with a 23-8 record overall and will return to action on Friday.

Check out the box score and highlights from the win.