Much like it did two weeks ago in a 78-73 win over the Volunteers, the Wildcats won despite being shorthanded. With guard Kerr Kriisa still sidelined with a right foot injury and guard Jaxson Robinson out with a right wrist injury he suffered in practice, Kentucky entered the game down two of its guards.

Senior guard Lamont Butler, who scored six points in the game and continued to showcase his defensive prowess with three steals, left the game after apparently re-aggravating his left shoulder injury.

Down three of its guards, the Wildcats still found a way to win with help from two of its freshmen. Guards Travis Perry and Trent Noah combined for 19 points (6-of-10 FG) and hit five of Kentucky’s 12 threes in the game. These two triples in the first half served as a preview of what was to come the rest of the game from both players.

This lob from Koby Brea to Otega Oweh extended Kentucky’s lead to 70-62 with over one minute to play.

Senior forward Ansley Almonor and Oweh each put up a team-high 13 points to lead the way on a balanced scoring night for the Wildcats.

After a poor opening half for Tennessee, the Volunteers’ offense picked up some momentum in the second half with senior guard Zakai Zeigler (17 points) and senior forward Igor Milicic Jr. (16 points, nine rebounds) carrying a team that only shot 3-of-18 from deep. In their other loss to Kentucky, Tennessee made 11-of-45 from three-point range. 

Even though the Volunteers (20-5, 7-5 SEC) are second in defensive efficiency this season according to TeamRankings, their offense must be more consistent going forward if they are going to go on a run in March.

One area Kentucky needs to work on the rest of the way is its rebounding. Tennessee had 33 rebounds to Kentucky’s 26, creating several second-chance opportunities. As good as Kentucky (17-7, 6-5 SEC) has shot from long-range this season, attacking the glass and getting its guards healthy are crucial down the stretch.