It was a wild ending, as Kentucky basketball stunned LSU in front of a shocked crowd at the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After beating Mississippi, the Wildcats got another win. In the press conference after, coach Mark Pope revealed that Malachi Moreno, who hit the game-winning shot, was not even supposed to get the basketball.
Mark Pope on what was SUPPOSED to happen on the final play:
"We were trying to get Otega a catch… but as we walked out of the timeout, I told Malachi that if we overthrow the pass, just catch it and shoot. And to his credit, that was brilliant. That was awesome"
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— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) January 15, 2026
Pope related that the original play was intended for Otega Oweh. However, something changed after they left the timeout. There was a contingency plan in case Oweh did not get the ball. Moreno ended up at the right place at the right time.
Kentucky had struggled early on in the campaign. Yet, this win was their second in a row, and they improved to seventh in the SEC. Owen led the Wildcats with 21 points while shooting 6 of 13, including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. Additionally, Denzel Aberdeen added 17 points while shooting 5 of 8. Andrija Jelavic finished with 11 points while shooting 4 of 7, including 2 of 4 from the three-point line. Meanwhile, Moreno finished with 10 points while shooting 4 of 7 from the hardwood.
It was a great morale boost for Kentucky, as they rallied from a 16-point deficit to complete the comeback. The Wildcats shot 44.6% from the floor, including 43.5% from the triples. But they also forced 12 turnovers. With the win, Kentucky improved to 2-2 in the SEC and 11-6 overall. It also gave them a chance at catching Missouri, who is 3-1 in the conference and 13-4 overall, No. 10 Vanderbilt, who is 16-1 overall with a 3-1 record, and No. 12 Arkansas, who is 3-1 in the conference with a 13-4 mark overall.
