The Kentucky Wildcats completed a season sweep of the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers with a 75-64 victory Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.
Despite missing Jaxson Robinson and losing Lamont Butler late in the second half due to a shoulder injury, Kentucky found key contributions from Koby Brea and Trent Noah, who stepped up to help secure the win.
The Wildcats also set a new program record with seven victories over top-15 opponents in a single season, surpassing the previous mark of six set by the 2002-03 team under coach Tubby Smith.
Looking ahead, Kentucky’s biggest challenge is player health.
With Robinson expected to miss several weeks, Butler’s status uncertain after re-aggravating his shoulder, and Carr still working his way back to full strength, the team’s success in March may depend on getting everyone healthy.
Kentucky native Travis Perry played a crucial role off the bench in Tuesday night’s victory over Tennessee. He finished with eight points, shooting 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Throughout the season, Perry has steadily developed into a key contributor for the Wildcats, particularly amid the team’s injury struggles.Another Kentucky native, Trent Noah, delivered his best performance in a Wildcats uniform on Tuesday night.
Having played in just 12 games this season and only recently earning more minutes, Noah made a significant impact in the win over Tennessee.
He recorded a season-high 11 points, grabbed two rebounds, and shot 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Additionally, he stepped to the free-throw line for the first time this season, knocking down two clutch shots in the final minutes to help secure Kentucky’s victory over the Vols.
Through 11 SEC games, Almonor has scored in double figures in seven of them.
Tuesday night marked his sixth consecutive start, and he has become a key contributor while Andrew Carr continues working back to full strength. In the win over Tennessee, Almonor posted a season-high 13 points, shooting 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Although he had a slow start to the season, he appears to have found his rhythm in conference play.Brea has delivered in clutch moments throughout conference play, including key performances against Florida and both matchups with Tennessee.
In Tuesday’s win, he scored 11 points while shooting 3-for-6 from three-point range. Stepping up in the absence of Jaxson Robinson and after Lamont Butler exited in the second half, Brea knocked down two crucial step-back threes in the final minutes.
He also sealed the victory with a no-look alley-oop assist to Otega Oweh, putting the game out of reach for the Vols.
Oweh remains Kentucky’s most consistent player, having scored in double figures in all 24 games this season. In Tuesday night’s win, he contributed 13 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
His impact has been invaluable, and it’s difficult to imagine where the Wildcats would be without his steady presence this season.