UnBreakable Cats Rally Again To Win

Collin Chandler barely smiles after hitting the 3-point shot that put UK ahead to stay against Tennessee with 33 seconds to play. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Pope is Hope.

Okay, maybe that’s not the best way to describe what is going on with Kentucky basketball, but something magical certainly is happening.

Kentucky was behind 47-33 at halftime against Tennessee in Rupp Arena and had no answers for Tennessee freshman Nate Ament — 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The Vols were 8-for-15 from 3-point range and had all the momentum, just like they did in Knoxville when the Cats were down by 12 after trailing by as many as 17 points.

However, who says history cannot repeat itself? The Cats rallied to win at Knoxville and did so again on Saturday to win 74-71 for the team’s fifth double-digit comeback this season. It was also the biggest comeback in UK’s Rupp Arena history.

“Kentucky was dead and buried by its own fan base. They heard the hate and felt the heat earlier this season,” ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes said. “But they have come back and did it again tonight.”

Kentucky started Southeastern Conference play 0-2 after being buried during non-conference play by Gonzaga and Michigan State. Three of the team’s expected top seven players are likely out for the season with injuries. But Kentucky is now 8-3 in SEC play and should be back in the top 25 this week.

“We have been through it all this season. We have been down early, up early. We had to stay even keeled,” UK guard Otega Oweh, who had 21 points for his fifth straight 20-point game, said. “We have faced a lot of adversity, but the game is 40 minutes long, and you can’t quit.”

Kentucky didn’t quit on the season, either. That’s why I like the nickname suggestion UK fan Brandon Painter of Nashville suggested — The UnBreakables — after Saturday’s win.

“They were 0-2 (in the SEC), and everybody was about to jump off the ledge,” UK Radio Network analyst Jack Givens said after the game. “They stayed with what they were doing and welcomed the coaching. Sometimes you don’t want to be coached, but this team seems to want to be coached and learn, and they have proven that.”

Kentucky has also proven it can be resilient.

“Kentucky kind of wore them down again in the second half, got back in the game and won it,” Givens said after UK finished a regular-season sweep of the Vols for the second straight year.

Sophomore guard Collin Chandler hit the game-winning 3-point shot with 33 seconds left after a sensational pass from Oweh, when he almost looked trapped under the basket. That gave UK a 71-69 lead.

“Coach Pope said something big to me leading up to the game. He said when I was aggressive and got two feet in the paint something good happens,” Oweh said. “Just be aggressive, get to the paint and if I finish great and luckily Collin was open. He is going to make those big-time shots. Just lucky to get it to him.”

“I told you he is Kentucky’s best pressure shooter, and he delivered,” Dykes said.

He did, but surprisingly, he missed the front end of the bonus with 7.3 seconds to play and UK clinging to a 72-71 lead. However, Mo Dioubate not only hustled to get the offensive rebounds, but he immediately passed it to Denzel Aberdeen — a much better free throw shooter. Aberdeen hit both free throws with 3.7 seconds left, and Kentucky barely survived a desperation 3-point shot by the Vols at the buzzer.