The Kentucky Wildcats have had a rough season. They came into Saturday's game against Tennessee with only seven wins. However, they left Thompson-Boling winners, after blowing out the 19th-ranked Vols, 70-55. The victory splits the regular series between the programs.
Tennessee's record drops to 15-6 (8-6 SEC).
The Wildcats offense was on fire in the first half, shooting over 60 percent. They used a 15-0 run to take a commanding lead, midway through the period. Senior Devion Mintz knocked down all five of his three-point attempts to score 15 points. Tennessee, however, shot less than 37 percent from the floor and turned the ball over eight times. Kentucky took a 45-30 lead into halftime.
Neither team shot well in the second half. Tennessee shot 27 percent and Kentucky shot 21 percent. Despite the poor shooting, the Wildcats held a double-digit lead for the entire period. They led by 20-plus on five occasions. The Vols could never get a true rally going.
Tennessee plays rival Vanderbilt on Feb. 24 in Nashville.