Kentucky falls by one point to Auburn 75-74

AUBURN, Al. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – There was plenty at stake for both teams Tuesday night at Neville Arena.

Kentucky entered trying to avoid its first three-game losing streak of the season, while Auburn came in desperate to snap a five-game skid and keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

It turned into another nail-biter.

The game featured 10 ties and 11 lead changes in a back-and-forth battle that neither team could fully control. Kentucky closed the first half on a 7-0 run to take a 39-35 lead into the break.

But much like several recent matchups, it came down to the final possession.

Kentucky nearly had a déjà vu moment reminiscent of its late-game execution in the win over LSU. This time, however, there was no last-second magic. The clock expired before the Wildcats could find the answer, and Auburn escaped with a 75-74 victory.

With the loss, Kentucky has now dropped three straight conference games and falls to 8-6 in SEC play.

Otega Oweh once again led the Wildcats in scoring, pouring in 29 points. Denzel Aberdeen added 15.

Auburn capitalized on Kentucky’s mistakes, scoring 17 points off 14 Wildcat turnovers, a key difference in a one-point game.

Kentucky remains on the road and will travel to Columbia to face South Carolina on February 24 at 7 p.m.