LEXINGTON, Kent. — Utah Valley's comeback bid fell just short as the Wolverines dropped a hard-fought 82-74 contest on the road against No. 9 Kentucky at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Utah Valley (3-2) took an early 6-5 lead to start a back-and-forth first half. Neither team held a lead larger than eight points as the opening half featured 12 lead changes. After the Wolverines tied it up at 20-20, the Wildcats ended the half with a 15-7 charge to take a 35-27 lead into the half. All three big men for UVU found themselves in foul trouble with three fouls each as Kentucky crashed the boards, outrebounding the Wolverines, and taking a 14-1 advantage in made free throws into the break.
The Wildcats came out hot to start the second half, using a 9-1 run to extend their lead to 28-44 with 17 minutes to go in the game. UVU responded with an 8-2 run over the next two minutes, led by
Emmanuel Olojakpoke and
Trey Woodbury to bring the deficit to 36-46. Both teams exchanged buckets over the next six minutes, with
TJ Washington hitting three straight shots from deep to keep the Wolverines within striking distance. Washington and
Jamison Overton led the charge as UVU used a 17-6 surge to cut the lead to just two points, 58-60, with 6:45 left in the game. A layup by
Brandon Averette followed by another three by Washington cut the lead to one, 67-68, with 3:26 to go but a 7-0 run gave the Wildcats control of the game for good. Kentucky made free throws down the stretch to seal the 82-74 win.
Utah Valley finished 26-of-64 from the field, knocking down a season-high 11 shots from downtown. The Wolverines held the Wildcats to a season-low 1-of-12 from three, but Kentucky's 31-of-34 mark from the foul line proved to be the difference in the game. UVU added another five blocks to bring their season total to a nation-leading 39 on the year. The Wolverines were outrebounded 27-46 but forced 14 Wildcat turnovers. UVU took care of the ball, limiting an active Kentucky team to only seven takeaways, the lowest number of turnovers by the Wolverines in a game in the last five years.
"I'm proud of our team," said Utah Valley head coach
Mark Madsen. "I was proud of TJ (Washington) and every single man in that locker room because at one point we were down I think 16 points in the second half with about 17 or 18 minutes left in the game and these guys battled, they scrapped and that's kind of a mantra on our team. Scrappiness, toughness, intensity no matter who we're playing and I think you guys saw that tonight. I was really pleased with our guys. Obviously, we put the Wildcats at the free throw line too much and we didn't get to the line enough. Overall, it was a great game and every player contributed."
Washington led the Wolverines with 22 points, including five made threes, to go along with a team-high five assists and five rebounds. Woodbury added 17 points on three shots from deep and a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe and Overton also scored in double figures with 10 points.
The Wolverines return home to take on Lamar on Thursday, Nov. 21 in the UCCU Center as part of the BBN Showcase. Tip is set for 7 p.m. MT and will be broadcasted on the WAC Digital Network and on ESPN 960 AM.
