Everyone knew the Kentucky Wildcats would be tested by Vermont, and tested they were.
Despite building several sizable leads throughout the game, UK was never quite able to put the Catamounts away. At one point, the Cats led 47-33 in the second half, but Vermont would rally to make it a game in the final minutes.
Vermont looked every bit like a team that’s going to win its league and make the NCAA Tournament with most of last year’s roster back. Their veteran-heavy team proved to be just the kind of early-season challenge these Cats needed.