SEATTLE — In a thrilling showdown, No. 4 Kentucky surged back from a daunting 18-point second-half deficit to defeat No. 7 Gonzaga 90-89 in overtime on Saturday night.
Andrew Carr played a pivotal role for Kentucky, scoring 19 points, while Otega Oweh’s inside basket in the first minute of overtime gave the Wildcats a 81-79 advantage, marking their first lead since the early phases of the game.
Amari Williams followed with a dunk, and Kentucky managed to maintain their slender lead despite a late 3-pointer from Gonzaga’s Nolan Hickman, who brought his team within one point with only five seconds remaining.
Kentucky trailed 50-34 at halftime but fought back to equalize at 79, thanks to a critical jumper from Carr with 49 seconds left in regular time.
Gonzaga’s Graham Ike stood out as the game’s top scorer, finishing with 28 points along with 11 rebounds. Unfortunately for Kentucky, Lamont Butler was sidelined due to an ankle injury.
Insights from the Game
For Kentucky, this victory marked a strong comeback following their previous defeat to Clemson, which also allowed them to gain experience from their first true road game of the season.
Conversely, Gonzaga faced a disheartening repeat of previous years, having lost the Battle in Seattle for the third consecutive time after similar losses to Alabama in 2021 and UConn in 2023.
Key Moments
During overtime, Kentucky extended their lead to as many as seven points. Gonzaga, which had struggled with just three 3-pointers throughout regulation, experienced a resurgence by hitting two consecutive shots from beyond the arc, narrowing the score to 86-83. However, Carr snatched an offensive rebound and delivered a crucial second-chance basket, pushing Kentucky’s lead to three points.
Noteworthy Statistics
Prior to this game, Gonzaga had maintained an impressive record of 175 consecutive victories when leading by double-digits at halftime, making Kentucky’s comeback particularly remarkable.
Looking Ahead
Next, Gonzaga will travel across the nation to face No. 25 UConn at Madison Square Garden next Saturday as part of the Hall of Fame Series. Meanwhile, Kentucky will return home to host Colgate on Wednesday.
