J.D. Hall 
Kentucky Basketball
Kentucky was back in action Saturday at Rupp Arena against South Carolina. The Wildcats, coming off an embarrassing loss to Ole Miss and having lost four of their last five games, were looking to return to the winning column against a South Carolina squad that was winless in conference play. Although they were 0-9, they had played tough and suffered some close losses, including a one-point loss to Florida, three-point losses to Auburn and Vanderbilt, a five-point overtime loss to Mississippi State, and a four-point loss to Texas A&M in their last game.
It was a bit of a sloppy start, with both teams combining for just four points in the first three minutes. Eight minutes into the game, South Carolina held an 11-10 lead. However, from that point, Kentucky finished the half on a 23-8 run, taking a 14-point halftime lead.
There was a noticeable improvement in Kentucky’s defense Saturday afternoon, largely due to the return of their defensive leader, Lamont Butler. Butler’s presence allowed his teammates to play in their natural roles, stabilizing the defense.
The impact was evident, as the Wildcats held South Carolina to just 19 first-half points. It was Kentucky’s best defensive efficiency performance (87.5) in conference play and their best overall since Jackson State (86.5). South Carolina’s best player, Collin Murray-Boyles, managed to score 10 first-half points, but that was the extent of the Gamecocks’ offensive success. They shot just 8-34 from the field (23.5%) and 1-11 from three (9%).
Kentucky performed slightly better, shooting 13-32 (40.6%) from the floor and 4-11 (36.4%) from three. The spark came from the bench in the first half, with Kentucky getting 23 points from Kobe Brea (8), Andrew Carr (9), and Brandon Garrison (6).
Coming out of halftime, Kentucky quickly extended the lead to 18 points on its first two possessions, but South Carolina fought back. They cut the lead down to just nine points on a Murray-Boyles layup with 10:39 to go and had an opportunity to trim it further after an Ansley Almonor turnover. However, Jacobi Wright turned the ball back over to Kentucky, effectively ending South Carolina’s comeback attempt.
Kentucky responded with an 11-0 run, sparked by an Otega Oweh fast-break three-pointer. The lead ballooned to 26 points (73-47) with 3:50 remaining before closing out an 80-57 victory—Kentucky’s largest conference win of the season. It was the type of game the team needed after struggling in the previous five contests, particularly on the defensive end.
South Carolina was led by Murray-Boyles with 14 points (5-13 FGA, 8 rebounds), Jacobi Wright with 12 points (4-8 FGA, 1-4 from three), and Jamari Thomas with 11 points (3-12 FGA, 1-6 from three).
Kentucky was once again led by Oweh, who has now scored in double figures in every game this season. He finished with 17 points, including 15 in the second half (6-10 FGA, 4-4 FTS). He was followed in double figures by Brea (10 points, 4-8 FGA, 2-6 from three), Amari Williams (10 points, 4-9 FGA), and Brandon Garrison (15 points, 7-8 FGA, 1-2 from three). It was arguably Garrison’s best game of the season. However, the biggest storyline was Butler’s return, which had a clear and immediate impact on the team’s performance.
Kentucky must build on this win and stay focused, as they have a rematch with No. 4 Tennessee on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM on ESPN. Tennessee will be looking for revenge after losing at home to the Wildcats—their only victory in the previous five games. If Kentucky brings the same energy and focus they displayed in Knoxville and against South Carolina, they will have a strong chance to complete the season sweep.
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