Kentucky falls 89-74 to No. 14 Alabama in SEC opener

TUSCALOOSA, Al. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – Kentucky fell to 9-5 overall and 1-5 against ranked opponents after an 89-74 loss to No. 14 Alabama on the road in its conference opener Saturday.

The Wildcats’ only win against a ranked opponent this season came Dec. 20 against St. John’s.

Alabama jumped out to a fast start, building a 21-point lead late in the first half and going ahead 50-34 at the break. The Crimson Tide knocked down 10 3-pointers in the opening half and led for 36 minutes of the game. Kentucky was unable to mount a comeback.

Alabama finished with 15 made 3-pointers. Aden Holloway led the Tide with 26 points, and five Alabama players scored in double figures.

Otega Oweh paced Kentucky with 22 points, extending his streak of double-figure scoring to every game this season. Jaland Lowe added 21 points. Jayden Quaintance scored five points in 24 minutes, and Denzel Aberdeen finished with seven points in 27 minutes.

The loss marked Kentucky’s fourth consecutive defeat to Alabama.

Kentucky returns to Rupp Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 7, to host Missouri. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.