Clemson defeats Kentucky, 70-66

CLEMSON, S.C. — When Mark Pope referred to his team's back-to-back road contests (Clemson on Tuesday; Gonzaga on Saturday) as "combat week," he wasn't exaggerating. Kentucky basketball's first travel test of the week was truly a battle until the bitter end: 13 lead changes, four ties, 35 fouls called, a two-point game with 0:02 to play and ultimately, a 70-66 Clemson win Tuesday night.

Kentucky's first loss of the season drops Pope and the Wildcats to 7-1 to start the year. Clemson improves to 8-1 as the Tigers earn their conference its first win in the second-annual ACC-SEC Challenge.

Lamont Butler steered the ship for Kentucky in the team's first true road test of the season. The veteran point guard finished with 16 points, five assists and a steal in 19 minutes, including a late-game triple to put the game back within reach.

Otega Oweh led the Cats in scoring for the second time this season, turning in a 17-point performance on 5-13 shooting (1-5 from deep, including three unsuccessful three-point attempts in the game's final two minutes). He's now reached double-figure scoring in all eight games to start the season.

Clemson's Ian Schieffelin went 4-20 from the field (1-8 from beyond-the-arc) for 11 points, but his major contribution came via his rebounding effort: a career-high 20 rebounds. The Cats and the Tigers tied the battle of the boards, 44-44.

Oweh took over midway through the first half, helping the Cats go on a 9-0 run to take a five-point lead. Clemson immediately responded with a solid stretch of its own, in the form of a 10-0 run for the home team.

The Tigers rode that momentum until halftime, finishing the first half on a 14-2 run while holding Kentucky scoreless for more than two-and-a-half minutes. UK shot 31 percent from the field, 29 percent from deep (4-14) and 55 percent from the free throw line (6-11) through the game's first 20 minutes, complete with six turnovers to only three assists.

Sharing the basketball had to have been part of the halftime conversation; Butler dished out a quick assist to give Oweh an open-look three to start the second half.

That hot start to second-half shooting didn't continue for the Cats. Kentucky went 3-13 from deep after halftime, finishing the game 7-27 from beyond-the-arc. The nation's leading 3-point shooter, Koby Brea, finished 1-2 from deep for a season-low three points.

The Cats also struggled from the charity stripe, finishing the evening 11-18 for 61 percent.

Kentucky will face another road test this Saturday, when the Wildcats take on No. 7 Gonzaga in Seattle. The "Battle in Seattle" tips off inside Climate Pledge Arena at 10 p.m ET on ESPN2 and the UK Sports Radio Network.

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