In the end, Alabama secured the win 102 to 97. The game not only marked the Wildcats' first loss against a top-15 ranked opponent this season, but also marked the team's first home loss of the season. UK is now 14-4 overall, and 3-2 in conference play.
The Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Kentucky Wildcats 102-97 during a game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
Kentucky Wildcats and Alabama Crimson Tide are set to face off on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at noon EST at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Alabama is coming off a home loss Tuesday night to Ole Miss, while Kentucky won its matchup at home against Texas A&M.
Grant Nelson had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 4 Alabama beat No. 8 Kentucky 102-97 in a matchup of two of the top offensive teams in the country.
No. 6 Kentucky won at No. 14 Mississippi State ( 95-90). Dropped to No. 8 due to a loss at Georgia the prior week, UK then came home to beat No. 11 Texas A&M (81-69) but lost 102-97 to No. 4 Alabama.
"TP, he’s terrific, isn’t he? Again, really complicated defense," Pope claimed. "But TP, you know I mean it was big shots, really big shots. Right?"
Kentucky is faring much better than Arkansas so far this season, who are now being coached by former Kentucky head coach John Calipari. Calipari and Kentucky parted ways in April after 15 years. Kentucky had won only one NCAA Tournament game in Calipari's last four years in Lexington and suffered massive first-round upsets at the hands of a 15 and a 14 seed.
Nate Oats has to compete against Kentucky and Mark Pope regularly, but he had high praise for the Wildcats’ coach. Alabama edged Kentucky 102-97 in Lexington, but Oats knew Pope would be a great fit with the program.
Grant Nelson scored a season-best 25 points and collected 11 rebounds to help No. 4 Alabama notch a 102-97 victory over No. 8 Kentucky in a high-octane Southeastern Conference contest in Lexington, Ky.
For the first time in the Mark Pope era, the Kentucky Wildcats suffered a loss inside Rupp Arena as the No. 4 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide rolled into
The Alabama Crimson Tide won a thriller over the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday afternoon in Lexington 102-97. Grant Nelson and Mark Sears combined for 49 points as the fourth ranked team in the country improves to 15-3 overall and 4-1 in the SEC.