Brea scores 18 to lead No. 12 Kentucky past No. 8 Tennessee 78-73
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Koby Brea scored 18 points to lead No. 12 Kentucky to a 78-73 victory over No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday night.
Jaxson Robinson added 17 points as the Wildcats (15-5, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) snapped a two-game skid. Otega Oweh scored 14 and Amari Williams had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Igor Milicic led the Volunteers (17-4, 4-4) with 19 points and nine rebounds. Chaz Lanier scored 15 and Zakai Zeigler added 13.
Kentucky overcame injuries to ballhandlers Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa. The Wildcats committed eight turnovers in the first half but just five in the second.
Tennessee scored the last 11 points of the first half and led 33-30 at the break.
The Vols had a scare when Zeigler went down with a knee injury, but he returned for the second half.
Kentucky: Heading into SEC play, Kentucky was one of the better teams in the country at taking care of the basketball. However, in recent games, the Wildcats have had their problems with double-digit turnovers. Injuries have played a role in the frustration, but Kentucky needs to stabilize the situation.
Tennessee: Defense has been the defining factor for the Vols. When they've struggled shooting from the field, a frequent occurrence against SEC competition, they’ve usually been able to rely on stops to keep them in the game until shots start to fall.
Tennessee trailed 76-73 with 10 seconds to play when Jordan Gainey shot a 3-pointer and missed everything.
Through the first eight minutes of the second half, Kentucky shot 9 of 12 (75%) from the field while building a 55-44 lead.
Kentucky hosts Arkansas on Saturday, and Tennessee faces No. 5 Florida.
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