It took Mark Pope just three games to get his first signature win at Kentucky.
The No. 19 Wildcats made timely plays down the stretch to hold off No. 6 Duke 77-72 in the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday night in Atlanta. Kentucky trailed 46-37 at the break but used a big second half to overcome the Blue Devils.
"I like our group," Pope said. "If we had lost this game, I would still like our group. I've been blessed to coach incredible young men. I've been incredibly blessed. This group especially, and they've been that way before we played a game in the summer.
"The guys were so intentional. These guys, nobody knew each other. Nobody had ever been with each other. They've been very intentional about getting to know each other. Three or four weeks into the summer, I had guys doing incredibly gracious, generous acts of kindness for their teammates."
Kentucky (3-0) forced two turnovers — both by Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg in the final 10 seconds — and Otega Oweh’s offensive rebound on Lamont Butler’s missed free throw with 5.1 seconds remaining sealed the deal for the Wildcats. Oweh made both charity tosses for the final margin.
"We really just want to go out there and do the things we know we can do, stay solid, stay to our principles, and if we do that, we know we're going to get a win, which was the outcome," Oweh said. "Obviously, the rivalry is huge, but we didn't look at it just as let's go out there and try to do stuff we don't usually do. Just be calm and composed and play the way we know we have to."
Oweh made two free throws on a steal five seconds earlier and converted two charity tosses following the game-clinching rebound to cap Kentucky’s successful comeback. Oweh finished with 15 points and grabbed six rebounds.
"The last 10 minutes of the first half was really frustrating for us," Pope said. "We gave up 46 points. That's not characteristic of us. That's not who we are as a team. We had seven turnovers in the first half. That's not characteristic of us.
"Credit Duke. Duke's a terrific team. Come on, a ton of credit to this great Duke team. But what I was really proud of (was our) guys went and sat in the locker room, and it was all constructive. The guys do most of the fixing before I even get in the locker room."
The contest featured nine lead changes and seven ties, but Kentucky’s defense, combined with gritty play in the second half provided a path to victory for Kentucky, which had lost nine of its previous 11 games against the Blue Devils. It was the first win over Duke since 2015.
Andrew Carr played a big role in Kentucky’s second-half rally and finished with 17 points to lead three players in double figures. Carr, Oweh, Brea and Kerr Kriisa combined for eight of the team’s 10 3-pointers on a night when the Wildcats relied on their defense and rebounding to overcome the Blue Devils.
"(It) was just an unbelievable game," Carr said. "It was a true team effort. I felt like it was really special for us. Not everything was going our way, especially in the first half. We come in at halftime, and Coach always talks about just turning into each other, and the people that matter are the people in that locker room. The closer we get, it's harder and harder to break us."
Amari Williams had 10 points and eight rebounds and used his post presence to keep the Wildcats within striking distance in the first half.
Duke got most of its scoring in the post and tallied 46 points in the paint, including 28 in the opening half. Kentucky committed seven turnovers in the first half but settled down and had just three miscues in the second frame.
Flagg was the top scorer with 26 points and 12 rebounds to pace Duke, but was held scoreless in the final two minutes.
The Cats hit 10 of 25 from beyond the arc, compared to just four of 23 for the Blue Devils. UK also made 17 of 24 at the line, while Duke made 12 of 17.
In the opening game of a doubleheader, top-ranked Kansas defeated Michigan State 77-69 to give Bill Self his 591st win as coach at Kansas. Self surpassed the legendary Phog Allen as the school’s all-time winningest coach.
SERIES RENEWED
Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, and Michigan State will continue to play in the Champions Classic which has been renewed through 2028.
Kentucky will play Michigan State at Madison Square Garden next season, followed by Kansas in 2026. Duke in 2027 and the Wolverines again in 2028.
“We are extremely excited about the continuation of this premier event in college basketball,” Pope said. “For nearly 15 years, the Champions Classic has showcased the nation’s best programs, seen unforgettable moments, featured terrific games and been the stage where players have become stars.”
(AP Photo John Bazemore)
