Heading out of halftime and down by 16, an almost immediate foul by Alabama gave Kentucky the chance to score an easy two points to open the second half. Otega Oweh took early control, scoring a jumper and a 3-pointer back-to-back to cut the deficit to 11.
The early second-half momentum continued in the Cats’ favor, as another foul gave Kentucky two more easy points. A two-minute Alabama scoring drought brought the half to its first timeout, with the Tide leading 55-45.
However, Alabama scored on back-to-back drives out of the timeout, and the Cats continued to struggle defending Alabama’s 3-point shot. Even with two scores of its own, Kentucky was not getting any closer to closing in on the Tide.
Alabama ended the game shooting 40.5 from the three with 15 made shots from beyond the arc, with ten coming in the first half. The early defensive struggles became a deal-breaker for Kentucky. At times, the offense finally seemed to be clicking for the Cats, but they were unable to answer on defense, making the comeback impossible.
Kentucky men’s basketball (9-5) fell on the road to No. 14 Alabama (11-3) 89-74 in the Cats fist conference game of the season.
Kentucky entered the matchup on a four-game winning streak, defeating North Carolina Central, Indiana, No. 22 St. John’s and Bellarmine. Alabama entered on a three-game winning streak of its own, beating South Florida, Kennesaw State and Yale.
Mo Dioubate returned to Coleman Coliseum for the first time since he transferred, and unsurprisingly, the former Crimson Tide forward was met with a roar of boos every time he touched the ball.
Kentucky opened with a 5-0 scoring run and looked to have all the momentum, but it was quickly halted as Alabama went on a 9-0 run, sending Kentucky into a 3 1/2-minute scoring drought ahead of the first timeout.
It wouldn’t take long for Mark Pope to put Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe and Kam Williams on the court for the Cats. Williams entered the game coming off a 26-point offensive masterclass against Bellarmine in the Cats’ last game of December, while Lowe and Quaintance have emerged as the offensive and defensive anchors for the team since coming back from injuries.
The shooting struggles were evident early for Kentucky, while Alabama’s offense started the game hot, especially from beyond the arc, to give the Tide an early lead.
Kentucky’s defense struggled to find answers for the high-paced Alabama offense, and while the Cats were finally finding some shots, they were unable to close the deficit heading into the 10-minute mark.
With another scoring run by Alabama, Kentucky found itself down by 11 heading into the 8-minute mark. Kentucky entered its second scoring drought of the game. With all the momentum in Alabama’s favor, the Cats found themselves in a situation they have faced multiple times this season — down by double digits with no answer.
Aside from the shooting struggles, it was clear Kentucky’s level of effort and drive was nowhere near Alabama’s. With an offense as high-paced and successful as the Tide’s, the Cats were setting themselves up for disaster.
Kentucky found its first sliver of momentum in the final minute of the half, as an 8-0 scoring run cut the deficit to 16. However, Alabama sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer, sending the crowd to its feet heading into the break as the Tide took a 50-34 lead.
Kentucky ended the half shooting 37.9% from the field, 22.2% from 3-point range and 66.7% from the free-throw line. Alabama dominated by shooting 51.5% from the field and doubling Kentucky from beyond the arc at 45.5%, while making 85.7% of its free throws.
The first nine minutes of the second half were a back-and-forth battle, with the teams exchanging scores on nearly every drive. However, with the double-digit deficit Kentucky put itself in during the first half, trading baskets did little to bring the Cats closer to pulling off the upset.
Alabama came out of the timeout and scored on three straight drives, quickly taking a 17-point lead over Kentucky and forcing Mark Pope to call a timeout.
Kentucky responded with its own 6-0 run, sending Alabama into a near three-minute scoring drought in which it missed five straight shots. The Cats cut the deficit to 13 heading into another timeout.
Williams drained a 3-pointer coming out of the break to cut Kentucky’s deficit to 10 and cap a 9-0 run before Alabama found its first points in more than three minutes with two free throws.
Kentucky continued shooting efficiently, scoring on five straight shots while Alabama failed to score on seven consecutive possessions. Fouls on the Cats slowed the momentum slightly, but at the 4:23 mark, Kentucky had pulled back within single digits.
Alabama would find its rhythm again, and five straight points would put the Cats down by 14, and with only three minutes left, the game would become yet another tale of too little, too late for Kentucky.
While the Tide’s offense stalled substantially in the final few minutes of the game, Kentucky gave up 11 second-half fouls, giving the Tide easy points, which would be costly for the Cats and their momentum.
Kentucky finished the game shooting 43.1% from the field and only 22.2% from the three, and the Cats would take their fifth-ranked loss of the year.
The Wildcats will look to bounce back on Tuesday, Jan. 7, hosting the Missouri Tigers inside Rupp Arena for Kentucky’s first conference home game of the season. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and will air live on ESPN2.
