No. 19 Kentucky converted a high percentage of shots from long range and took advantage of points off turnovers to finish the regular season with a 91-83 win over No. 15 Missouri.
The 10 Quad 1 wins only trail No. 8 Michigan State and No. 1 Auburn for the most in Division I, according to ESPN college basketball insider Jeff Borzello. Kentucky added to its program record with its eighth win over a top 15 opponent this season, tying the NCAA record.
Kentucky shot 48.2 percent from the floor and 11-of-20 from three-point range. Senior Koby Brea was clicking early with this long jumper to extend the Wildcats’ advantage to 18-13 with about eight minutes to play in the first half.
Brea stayed locked in with this triple late in the first half to give Kentucky a 10-point lead.
The points off turnovers were on full display, especially in the second half. Junior Otega Oweh got the steal and layup on the other end to give Kentucky a 66-51 lead with under 10 minutes to play.
Brea had 17 points (3-of-5 3PT) while Oweh (22 points) posted his fifth 20-point game in the last seven contests. His three steals were key to Kentucky’s 20 points off 10 Missouri giveaways.
While Missouri finished the game with 11 triples, it was a disappointing end to the regular season for the Tigers, who have lost three in a row and four of their last five. Junior Mark Mitchell had a team-high 22 points (8-of-14 FG), but senior Caleb Grill was held to eight points despite coming into the game averaging 14.4 points per game.
The Tigers (21-10, 10-8 SEC) — who did not win a conference game last season — have completed a remarkable year-to-year turnaround. However, with five of their last six opponents scoring north of 90 points, they must play better defense if they are going to turn their struggles around.
Kentucky (21-10, 10-8 SEC) goes into the SEC Tournament with back-to-back wins and some momentum despite battling injuries all season. The Wildcats continue to prove they can score, but their defense — which still gave up 83 in the loss — is going to dictate how far they go in March.
