No. 9 Kentucky falls to Georgetown in final exhibition ahead of regular season

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – No. 9 Kentucky was unable to complete a clean sweep of the preseason, falling 79-66 to Georgetown. Kentucky, which was missing three players in this game due to injury, was unable to get into a rhythm and now sets its sights on Tuesday’s season opener.

The Wildcats were without both of their main ball handlers in this exhibition, as Jaland Lowe is still recovering from a shoulder injury and Denzel Aberdeen was held out as a precaution due to leg soreness.

In the first half, Kentucky hung around with Georgetown, typically trailing by anywhere from five to ten points. However, in the second half, the Wildcats really struggled to score. Kentucky shot just 5-for-22 in the half, including 0-for-10 from three, and had difficulty running the offense without its two primary ball handlers.

Otega Oweh led the way for Kentucky with 17 points in 25 minutes while shooting 4-for-12 from the floor. Freshman big man Malachi Moreno and Alabama transfer Mo Dioubate led the Wildcats in rebounding with six apiece. Moreno also had a team-high two blocks, while Dioubate recorded a team-high three steals in Thursday’s loss.

Georgetown’s backcourt powered the Hoyas to victory in Thursday night’s exhibition. Senior guard Malik Mack led the team with a game-high 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. His backcourt mate, Arizona transfer K.J. Lewis, also had a strong showing for the Hoyas, scoring 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the win.

Kentucky will look to correct its mistakes ahead of Tuesday’s regular-season opener against Nicholls State. The Wildcats and Colonels will tip off the 2025–26 season inside Rupp Arena at 7 p.m. EDT on SEC Network+.