Kentucky basketball fell quick towards Alabama as soon as once more on Saturday in one other high-scoring affair. Regardless of a powerful begin by Mark Pope and the Wildcats, the Crimson Tide rallied again late within the first half and ran away with the sport in a 96-83 win in Tuscaloosa.
Kentucky remains to be combating an uphill battle whereas they attempt to survive with out each of its level guards, Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson, who’re each nonetheless out on account of harm. Within the absence of two of their finest perimeter scorers, the Wildcats want star guard Otega Oweh to provide at a excessive stage for them to maintain tempo with among the finest groups in faculty basketball.
Whereas Oweh has met the second for Kentucky time and time once more this season, he was unable to try this on Saturday. Alabama shut down the bodily guard, holding him to only two factors for the sport on 1-for-9 capturing. Oweh additionally fouled out of the sport after enjoying simply 22 minutes. After the sport, Pope was in no temper to speak about his star’s struggles when requested what Alabama did to restrict the Kentucky standout, by way of Aaron Gershon of 247 Sports activities.
“Are you baiting me into a solution right here?” Pope questioned, per Gershon. “Alabama is a superb defensive crew.”
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Oweh is Kentucky’s main scorer, averaging practically 16 factors per recreation, so it is understandably arduous for the Wildcats to attain when he does not have it going. Kentucky had a tough capturing night time as a complete, ending just below 43% from the sector and making 9 of their 26 3-point makes an attempt.
With this newest loss, this Kentucky basketball crew is seeing its hopes of a protected seed within the NCAA Match slowly begin to slip away. The Wildcats are beginning to present up on numerous four-lines now, with little margin for error between them and a few of the groups chasing them.
The power of schedule within the SEC and Kentucky’s crop of very spectacular wins will assist, however Pope and firm cannot afford too many extra disappointing performances like this one over the remainder of the season in the event that they wish to keep in that high 16.