Kentucky’s win highlighted by wild momentum swings
Kellan Grady made seven 3s for a season-high 25 points, Oscar Tshiebwe added 21 points with 14 rebounds and No. 4 Kentucky rallied twice to top No. 25 Alabama 90-81 on Saturday.
Short-handed because of injuries to starting guards TyTy Washington Jr. and Sahvir Wheeler, the Wildcats (22-5, 11-3 Southeastern Conference) trailed 46-34 with 3½ minutes remaining before halftime before closing with 13 straight points for their first lead. Grady’s 3-pointer capped the run that draw a thunderous roar in Rupp Arena.
The Crimson Tide (17-10, 7-7) erased a 54-48 deficit early in the second with eight points in a row to go up by two before Kentucky responded with a 20-2 surge over 5:47 to seize control at 74-58.
Consecutive 3s by Jaden Shackelford and Keon Ellis, who had a season-high 28 points, sparked a rebound that eventually got the Crimson Tide within 80-73 with 4:53 left, but Grady sank another 3 and Davion Mintz added a jumper for a double-digit cushion.
Keion Brooks Jr. leaped high for a huge putback dunk with 57 seconds left to finish with 18 points to seal the outcome as Kentucky regrouped from Tuesday night’s 76-63 loss at No. 16 Tennessee.
Grady was 9 of 16 overall from the field for his career best with
Kentucky. Tshiebwe was 9 of 13 as the Wildcats shot 53% to seize a game of runs.
Shackelford had 18 points and Noah Gurley 12 for the Crimson Tide.
Big picture
Alabama: Alabama jumped on the depleted Wildcats with redhot
shooting from deep before going cold late in the first half to fall behind. The Crimson Tide briefly found their stroke to lead in the second and attempt a rally, but their reliance on the long ball ultimately cost them a chance for a big win.
Kentucky: Missing Washington and Wheeler put the Wildcats at
a disadvantage on both ends of the floor. Grady kept them in it before he got hot in the second half, and others chipped in a way few could have imagined.
Up next
Alabama visits Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. Kentucky hosts LSU on Wednesday night.