Texas A&M came out hot. Kentucky was blitzed by the Aggies, trailing 10-0 after 4:30. Following the loss at Alabama, it was not an ideal start. Luckily, it was not meant to last. The Cats responded with a 24-6 run to take the lead for good.
Kentucky’s big run was fueled by the bench. Immanuel Quickley, Nick Richards and E.J. Montgomery provided the energy to create turnovers that led to easy buckets.
The lead would not last, largely in part to the newfound struggles from Kentucky’s Big Three — P.J. Washington, Reid Travis and Keldon Johnson. Once UK’s unquestioned top three players, the trio produced just eight points and six rebounds in the first half.