TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 17 Kentucky men’s basketball was swept by No. 4 Alabama, falling 96-83 inside Coleman Coliseum on Saturday night.

The loss marked the first time any opponent has swept the Wildcats under Head Coach Mark Pope and, looking at the games remaining, the Crimson Tide will be the only team to do so in the regular season for 2024-25.

Kentucky entered the contest looking for revenge after getting its “get back” against Vanderbilt inside Rupp Arena during the midweek 82-61.

After that statement performance against the Commodores, and stars Kerr Kriisa, Jaxson Robinson and Lamont Butler still out, UK Head Coach Mark Pope marched out the same starting lineup as he did earlier in the week, bringing out Otega Oweh, Koby Brea, Andrew Carr, Travis Perry and Amari Williams.

Kentucky quickly got off to a ferocious start and, with the insertions of sixth man Collin Chandler and Brandon Garrison, the Cats led 16-9 by the first media timeout.

Carr proved to be vital in the stretch, scoring 50% of UK’s points, but was soon subbed out as Trent Noah and Ansley Almonor made their ways into the lineup.

Shortly after Carr’s departure, the Crimson Tide went on a 7-0 scoring run to get back within four as UK led by double digits.

The Wildcats would then reach an apex of a 12-point advantage, but foul trouble and offensive lapses allowed for a window for Bama, which soon took advantage and stole the lead with just over five left to play.

From there, Bama would hold the advantage into the halftime break, leading by as many as nine with a staggering 20-4 scoring run.

At the end of the first half, Kentucky trailed by seven with the score at 47-40 after the Tide’s Mark Sears dropped 15 and Aden Holloway emptied a 12-point clip, overshadowing a combined 21 from Brea and Carr.

Kentucky would get off to a slow start to start the second half, but a 7-0 run would see the Cats within four at the first media timeout as Carr would seem to return to his early-game form, nailing a 3-pointer from the corner.

Unfortunately for the Cats, the gap would never seem to get tighter, with UK staying consistently a couple of scores behind the Tide.

This would only worsen with just under seven minutes to go when all of the foul trouble of the first half began to rear its ugly head when Oweh fouled out of the game.

Shortly after Oweh’s fouling out, the Crimson Tide lead would return to double digits.

By the time Pope called a timeout, the Alabama lead stood at 12 with two more Cats one foul away from being ejected from the game as well.

With 2:36 left on the clock, Chandler became the second Cat to foul out one possession after nailing a big 3-pointer, adding another nail into UK’s coffin.

As if willed by fate, the Tide would get hot at that moment, further erasing any doubt of a UK upset.

The Wildcats, despite a valiant start and fight down the stretch, would not be able to overcome injuries and foul trouble in the end, with the Crimson Tide winning by double digits during its “white out” in Coleman Coliseum.

Kentucky will continue its road trip on Wednesday, Feb. 26, venturing into the Lloyd Noble Center for the first time ever in SEC play to face the Oklahoma Sooners. Tipoff against OU is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will air live on the SEC Network.