(Photo by Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
(Photo by Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
With a desperate need to win, BJ Boston delivered exactly what Kentucky needed: triples, and many of them. The freshman guard defeated a maximum of three triples to help the Cats beat Auburn in the second half and hold on to victory. The 82-80 victory secures a three-game losing streak and improves Kentucky to 6-13 and 5-7 in the SEC.
After six at halftime, Kentucky set fire to the midfield locker rooms. The Cats hit five triples in the first 5:30 minutes to take control of the game. In the second timeout, United beat Auburn 30-13 after scoring just 30 points throughout the first half.
Boston drove the Kentucky three-point train, burying the 5 of 8 at night to get 17 points. He also played aggressively on defense. Boston got three steals in the first five minutes and ended the game with four takeaways. Isaiah Jackson was absolutely amazing. The freshman striker finished the night with 18 points, 11 rebounds (his first double-double) and two blocks, including the one that finally got a win in Kentucky.
Despite Kentucky’s excellent attacking play, they were unable to stop Auburn’s late run. JT Thor was essentially unrecoverable, leading all scorers with 24 points. He made three big ones from behind. Thor’s fifth from the city center reduced the UK lead to two with just over a minute to play. Auburn tied the game with 46 seconds left to make a transition from UK turnover, but Davion Mintz set out to save the day, delivering another three to give the UK an advantage they would not give up.
Like almost every Kentucky game this season, the game fell to the limit. Unlike many of the previous games, this time the WildCats came out victorious off the court.