CATS CLAW BACK! Kentucky defeats Mississippi State, 91-89

STARKVILLE, Miss. — In a game which pitted a high-flying, fast-paced Kentucky team against a Mississippi State program determined to slow them down, the Cats clawed back for a hard-fought victory Tuesday night.

Kentucky earned - yes, earned - a 91-89 win on the road in Starkville. The Wildcats led for just four minutes and 14 seconds but shot 55 percent from the field and 88 percent from the charity stripe to seal the deal.

Reed Sheppard scored Kentucky's final six points of the game, but none sounded better on the UK Sports Radio Network broadcast than the game-winning jumper he hit with time expiring.

With the win, Kentucky moves to 20-8 on the season and 10-5 in the SEC. John Calipari improves to 20-1 against the Bulldogs, while Mississippi State Coach Chris Jans slides to 0-3 against Kentucky. The Wildcats have now won four straight games against the Bulldogs, including both meetings this season.

Both halves of Kentucky's dynamic duo of Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham went nuclear in the second half, but ultimately, it was Sheppard who put the game away for the Cats. He finished with a remarkable 32 points, shooting 11-14 field goals, 4-7 from deep and 6-6 from the free-throw line in 35 minutes, to go with seven assists, five rebounds and two steals.

Antonio Reeves finished as UK's second-leading scorer, with 21 points on 8-15 shooting from the field. DJ Wagner also reached double-figure scoring, with ten points and four assists in 27 minutes, while Adou Thiero added 11 points and three rebounds with 26 minutes of playing time.

Tre Mitchell was not available to play.

Mississippi State controlled the first half from the opening tip until the halftime buzzer. The Bulldogs were controlling the pace and the points in the paint, with Tolu Smith and Josh Hubbard having already reached double-figure scoring before the break.

The Cats clawed their way back after halftime and, after surviving State's hot start to the second half, Kentucky continued to chip away at the Bulldogs' lead.

Sheppard's play at point guard helped put the Cats within striking distance. The freshman recorded 23 of his 32 points in the second half.

After struggling for much of the game, Dillingham turned it on with four minutes to play.

First, he buried a three-pointer to give Kentucky its first advantage of the night, 72-71. Then, he dished it to Aaron Bradshaw for a dunk down low, extending UK's run to 7-0 in under a minute and a half.

Still, things were tight down the stretch.

Kentucky had only a one-point lead with 16.7 seconds remaining, when Mississippi State sent Sheppard to the free throw line. Ice in his veins, the freshman sank them both, quieting the home crowd and giving his team an 89-86 advantage with time ticking.

Hubbard hit one more triple to tie the game and finish with 34 points and seven, 3-pointers, but Sheppard was not done yet. The Kentucky kid hit one more clutch shot with time expiring to give the Wildcats the two-point win, 91-89.

Kentucky will return to Rupp Arena this Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. tip against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

For more on the Wildcats, watch BBN Tonight weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on the official station for UK Athletics, LEX 18 News.

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