Kentucky’s ugly meltdown leads to historic Missouri win

Kentucky suffered its second loss in conference play after collapsing against Missouri, 73-68, at Rupp Arena on Wednesday.

It was a tight contest throughout, but the Tigers went on a 15-2 run in the last part of the second half to pull the rug from under the Wildcats and improve to 12-3.

It was also a historic win for Missouri as it won for the first time at Rupp Arena. The team was 0-9 at the famed venue prior to the breakthrough victory. Meanwhile, it was Kentucky’s first home-opening loss in the SEC since 2013.

“Kentucky led by eight with 4:37 to go and absolutely imploded, giving Missouri its first win ever in Rupp Arena,” posted Kentucky Sports Radio’s Tyler Thompson.

“The Cats are now 0-2 in SEC play, losing a game they could not afford to lose. A complete mess.”

Kentucky led by 8 with 4:37 to go and absolutely imploded, giving Missouri its first win ever in Rupp Arena.

The Cats are now 0-2 in SEC play, losing a game they could not afford to lose. A complete mess. pic.twitter.com/AgF7CQR2Ij

— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) January 8, 2026

The Wildcats lost to Alabama, 89-74, on Saturday.

Mark Mitchell led the charge for the Tigers with 21 points and four assists, while Jayden Stone chipped in 20 points, including three three-pointers, and seven rebounds.

Mitchell’s bucket with only 36 seconds left gave Missouri the lead, 69-68, before Stone nailed four free throws to seal the memorable win.

Otega Oweh was the lone bright spot for Kentucky, finishing with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He also had five rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

The Wildcats were held to 43% shooting and got dominated in the paint, 40-28. They also missed seven free throws.

They will have a chance to bounce back when they host Mississippi State on Saturday.

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