How No. 19 Kentucky picked up its largest conference win of the season
Prior to Tuesday, Kentucky’s largest margin of victory in SEC play was an 80-57 win over South Carolina on Feb. 8.
For a team that has struggled to outrebound its opponents this season, Kentucky took advantage of a 37-30 edge on the boards and a much-improved defense to feed its efficient offense all night.
This transition dime from junior Otega Oweh led to a one-handed jam from senior Lamont Butler to give Kentucky an early 15-2 advantage.
The selflessness from the Wildcats on this fastbreak opportunity was capped by a triple from senior Ansley Almonor — one of three in the game — to put Kentucky up 77-42 with just over nine minutes to play.
The Wildcats had 29 fast break points and 46 in the paint. Along with a perfect night from the charity stripe (11-of-11), Kentucky shot 50.7% from the floor and made 12 of its 32 three-point attempts. One game removed from a brutal 18-turnover performance against No. 1 Auburn, Kentucky’s eight giveaways on Tuesday were a major step in the right direction.
On a night Kentucky celebrated its six seniors on senior night, Almonor led the bunch with a season-high 15 points off the bench. Oweh led all Wildcat players with 24 points (9-of-11 FG) and eight rebounds.
As welcomed as this dominant win from Kentucky was, it was against an LSU team that is second-to-last in the SEC. However, with a road trip to No. 15 Missouri on Saturday and the SEC Tournament one week away, it was certainly a confidence booster, which is something the Wildcats needed after Saturday’s loss to Auburn.
With nine Quad 1 wins and no poor losses on its resume, Kentucky (20-10, 9-8 SEC) has proven it can beat anyone in the country when everything is clicking. For that to be the case the rest of the way, Kentucky must continue to attack the glass and play an up-tempo type of game. If the pass is sped up and the Wildcats are getting open looks from deep, they are as dangerous as any offense in the country.
