Kentucky couldn’t stop Texas freshman sensation Tre Johnson Saturday night.
Johnson scored 32 points to lead the Longhorns to an 82-78 upset of the 15th-ranked Wildcats in the first meeting between the two schools as Southeastern Conference foes. The loss ended Kentucky’s modest two-game winning streak, while the Longhorns snapped a three-game slide and notched their fourth Quad 1 win of the season.
The Wildcats, facing the Longhorns for the first time in Austin, were without starters Lamont Butler (shoulder) and Jaxson Robinson (wrist). Kentucky freshman Travis Perry made his first career collegiate start and finished with six points and three assists. The Wildcats have played just seven games this season with a healthy roster.
The absence of Butler and Robinson, the team’s top guards, showed throughout as the Wildcats committed 15 turnovers, with Texas scoring 21 points off those miscues.
Kentucky led 69-64 with 3:30 remaining, but Texas outscored the Wildcats 12-1 in less than two minutes to regain the lead and held on down the stretch. Johnson scored five points in a 7-0 flurry by the hosts to help lead the Longhorns to victory.
The contest featured nine lead changes and seven ties before the hosts took control in the final three minutes.
Otega Oweh led the Wildcats with 20 points, and Amari Williams added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Williams sank his first 3-pointer of the season in the first half and added three assists. Ansley Almonor added 11 points.
To go along with the turnover issues, Kentucky shot just 25 percent from behind the arc and missed eight free throws on 28 attempts from the charity stripe.
GAMERACKER: Vandy at Kentucky, 7 p.m., Wednesday. TV/Radio: SEC Network, UK Radio Network SuperTalk 94.3 WKYX, WiLLiE 102.
Texas guard Tre Johnson, center, is defended by Kentucky forward Ansley Almonor, left, and guard Otega Oweh (00) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
