Tshiebwe’s Monster Night Leads Cats Past Bulldogs
Kentucky got off to another slow start on Tuesday against Georgia. But the Cats had the best player on the floor in Oscar Tshiebwe and that was enough for UK to win 85-71. Tshiebwe had perhaps his best game as a Wildcat, which is saying something for the defending National Player of the Year, registering 37 points and 24 rebounds. Kentucky needed them all to hold off a feisty Georgia team in this game. The 24 rebounds by Tshiebwe is the second-highest total in Rupp Arena history. Tshiebwe set the record last season with 28 rebounds against Western Kentucky. The 2022-23 Cats have consistently been slow starters. That troubling fact reared its ugly head again on Tuesday night, as UK made just three of its first 13 shots and trailed Georgia early. However, it was just 11-10 due to seven points and five rebounds by defending National Player of the Year.
Cardinals Host Pitt on Wednesday Night
Louisville men’s basketball stays home this week to host Pitt at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday at the KFC Yum! Center. The game will air on the ACC Network. The Cardinals suffered their seventh straight loss Saturday with an 80-59 defeat against last year’s national runner-up, North Carolina. Pitt won 71-60 at Georgia Tech on Saturday to improve to 4-2 on the road this season, including 3-1 in league play. Louisville is 21-7 all-time against the Panthers, including 12-1 at home. Pitt won the most recent meeting a year ago, but the Cardinals have claimed 17 of the last 19 overall in the series. Pitt is ranked 18th in the country in Division I experience, according to Ken Pomeroy, while Louisville is ranked 339th.
Racers First half Surge Fades at Belmont
The Murray State Racers dropped an 80-65 loss Tuesday to the Belmont Bruins at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The Racers (10-9) fall to 5-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference and come home Saturday to host the Indiana State Sycamores at 5 p.m. on Faculty/Staff Appreciation and Athletics Academic Recognition Day at the CFSB Center. Rob Perry scored 14 points to lead the Racers, while JaCobi Wood scored 12 points and Jamari Smith added 11.
>>College Basketball Roundup
(Undated) — Tennessee took down Mississippi State on the road 70-59. The ninth-ranked Vols are now 15-and-3 and will head to LSU Saturday afternoon. Vanderbilt fell to fourth-ranked Alabama 78-66. The Commodores dropped to 9-and-9 and will hit the road to play Georgia on Saturday. Memphis is coming off a close win against Temple. The Tigers improved to 13-and-5 and will host Wichita State tomorrow.