Just a few days after getting trounced in Nashville by the Vanderbilt Commodores 80-55, the Kentucky Wildcats bounced back in major fashion as they went to Bud Walton Arena and handed John Calipari and the No. 15 Arkansas Razorbacks their first home loss of the season, 85-77.
In what was a very chippy contest from start to finish, Kentucky could’ve easily folded after two ridiculous back-to-back technicals in the 2nd half that immediately handed over the momentum in favor of the Hogs, but the Wildcats grit and determination propelled them to victory when it was all said and done. Otega Oweh was completely unstoppable in the Cats’ upset victory over the Razorbacks as he went for 24 points and 8 rebounds.
The Cats are back at home for the next two games as they welcome the Oklahoma Sooners Wednesday night at 9:00 and have another showdown with the No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers Saturday night at 8:30.
Here are the risers in the Wildcats’ win over the Hogs this past Saturday:
Trent Noah
Sophomore forward Trent Noah came up huge in Saturday night’s game against the Hogs as he finished the game with 9 points and 7 rebounds in his 19 minutes off the bench. In a game that had a lot riding on the Wildcats season, the Kentucky native who’d recently been cut out of the rotation stepped up big in a hostile environment to help the Cats prevail over the Razorbacks. With Kam Williams out indefinitely, Trent Noah’s going to have a lot more opportunities to play a huge role for the Wildcats off the bench.
Collin Chandler
Another individual who played a huge role in the Cats’ win was sophomore guard Collin Chandler. Chandler finished Saturday night’s outing with 13 points and also shot 2/4 from 3. He also hit arguably the two most important shots of the night: one came midway through the 2nd, when it seemed like Kentucky had lost all momentum, and he stepped up and hit a long 3, which shifted the momentum back in the Cats’ favor.
Then, with a little over a minute left and the shot clock winding down, he hit a fadeaway that all but sealed the victory for the Wildcats. Collin Chandler has continued to be one of Kentucky’s go-to guys for a needed basket down the stretch as of late.
Malachi Moreno
Freshman center Malachi Moreno was also huge for the Cats this past Saturday as he consistently grabbed rebound after rebound throughout the game. Moreno finished Saturday night’s outing with 11 points and 7 rebounds (5 OREB). While he won’t get a lot of credit for it, Moreno also hit some very much needed free throws in several instances when the Cats needed them the most.
Otega Oweh
By far the best player on the court out of both teams in Saturday night’s win in Fayetteville, senior guard Otega Oweh came out with lots of urgency from start to finish as he ended with a season-high 24 points, 8 rebounds, and dished out three assists. The Hogs simply had no answer for him this past Saturday night as he continuously got to his spots and got downhill whenever he wanted all game. Oweh is now averaging a little over 20 ppg in nine games of conference play for the Wildcats.