On Saturday, the No. 25 Kentucky Wildcats struggled to find their footing against the Alabama Crimson Tide, ultimately falling 78-52 at Coleman Coliseum.
Alabama got off to a strong start, scoring the first eight points of the game and taking an early 11-2 lead. Kentucky was able to battle back, using tough defense to get back within one point on two occasions. However, the Crimson Tide closed out the first half with a 15-5 run to lead 35-24 at the break.
In the second half, Alabama started strong with a 13-3 run and never looked back. The Crimson Tide went on to top the Wildcats by a final score of 78-52.
Kentucky struggled from the floor throughout the game, shooting just 28.8% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. The Wildcats also recorded just seven assists on their 21 made field goals.
Antonio Reeves was a bright spot for Kentucky, coming off the bench to score 20 points. Sahvir Wheeler had 15 points and three assists, while Oscar Tshiebwe was held to just four points and six rebounds.
Alabama, on the other hand, made 18 of 26 free throws and played strong defense throughout the game.
“You’ve got to give them credit, they went right after us,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. “I’m disappointed that we did not play better because I thought we were ready to play a good game on the road. We’re going to have to prove at some point that we can play on the road.”
The Wildcats will have a chance to bounce back on Tuesday when they host South Carolina at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on ESPN2.