Kentucky’s season went from on the brink to off on Tuesday because the 19.5-point favourite Wildcats fell at house in a 71-68 upset to unranked South Carolina. The loss snapped Kentucky’s 28-game house successful streak at Rupp Enviornment, which was the longest streak within the SEC and dropped the Wildcats to 1-Three in convention play for the primary time for the reason that 1986-87 season. The disastrous loss comes simply days after falling by 26 factors to Alabama — the most important margin of defeat within the century-long sequence towards the Crimson Tide — on Saturday.
The Wildcats have struggled at numerous occasions all through the season, whether or not on offense or protection, however Tuesday towards the Gamecocks was a mix of all the pieces going flawed always. South Carolina scorched the nets from the three, crashed the offensive boards and scored 21 second-chance factors in a shutout victory. Each time UK regarded able to tighten issues up, South Carolina appeared to have a solution.
South Carolina acquired a game-high 26 factors from Meechie Johnson — a brand new profession excessive — in a mind-boggling scoring efficiency en path to pulling off the upset. Johnson hit six of his 10 Three-point makes an attempt, together with an absurd stepback from deep late within the second half and one other from close to the buzzer to cushion the lead as Nice Britain to deliver him nearer. Star freshman GG Jackson additionally added two 3s on two makes an attempt and contributed 16 factors on 6-of-10 taking pictures.
South Carolina was as scorching as Kentucky was ice chilly in one other flat efficiency by the Wildcats. Even with Participant of the Yr Oscar Tshiebwe, Nice Britain labored on the boards and on the offensive glass and did not get any assist from the offensive finish of issues to even the stability. The group took simply 10 3s and made threes, a complicated technique from a group that ranks statistically as among the best Three-point taking pictures groups within the Calipari period.
To make issues worse, star freshman Cason Wallace, the group’s high Three-point shooter in share, left halfway via the sport with an harm and by no means returned.
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