Top-ranked Kentucky falls at home to Evansville
The game ended with an airball on a game-trying 3-point attempt from star freshman Tyrese Maxey, directly after Evansville guard Sam Cunliffe iced two free throws to keep Kentucky at bay.
Evansville was predictably amped in the locker room after the game. The man in the middle of the celebration: head coach Walter McCarty, an All-SEC member of Kentucky’s 1996 championship team.
The Wildcats’ troubles began when Evansville went on a 9-0 run to take a 24-16 early in the game. That lead held through halftime, but a Kentucky comeback gave the Wildcats a lead midway through the second half. Evansville rallied from there though as Kentucky went flat on offense, dooming them to a shocking loss.
Overall, Kentucky went a rough 20-of-54 from the field and 4-of-17 from 3-point range. The team’s top scorers, Maxey and sophomore Immanuel Quickly, combined for 31 points but went only 10-of-24 from the field.