KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Denzel Aberdeen scored 22 points, 18 in the second half, and Kentucky rallied from a 17-point first-half deficit to knock off No. 24 Tennessee, 80-78, on Saturday.
Trailing 80-78 with 2.6 seconds left, Tennessee's Ja'Kobi Gillespie went to the free throw line for one shot. He intentionally missed, and teammate Jaylen Carey got the rebound in a scrum. His attempt to tie the game at the buzzer was stuffed by several Wildcats players.
After the buzzer, pushing and shoving in front of the Tennessee bench ensued. Players from both teams were quickly separated.
It was the second time this week that the Wildcats (12-6, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) won after being down in the second half by at least 17 points. They trailed Auburn by 18 on Wednesday night before winning by one.
Otega Oweh, Jasper Johnson and Collin Chandler all scored 12 points and Mohammed Dioubate added 10.
Gillespie scored 24 points for the Volunteers (12-6, 2-3). Nat Ament added 17.
Gillespie had 14 points at halftime and Tennessee's physicality was obvious in the Vols' 42-31 advantage. Tennessee dominated the boards, 20-12, and led 8-1 in offensive rebounds.
Kentucky: The Wildcats will host Texas on Wednesday.
Tennessee: The Vols have a week off before they travel to Alabama next Saturday.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
Join us for community fun! Free antique and collectible appraisals by Clars Auction. Over 30… Read moreMillbrae Senior Showcase
Thomas Morgan said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.