Share on LinkedIn

STARKVILLE, MS. (WYMT) - A packed Humphrey Coliseum was decked out in a sea of fans dressed in white. The Cats were pressured in a hostile environment, but Kentucky freshman guard Reed Sheppard was made for clutch moments.

The Bulldogs opened on a 9-0 run to lead 12-3 early in the first half. State led 21-14 after Josh Hubbard sank a 3-pointer which Reed Sheppard answered with his own on the other end. Sheppard started the night shooting a perfect 3-3 both from the field and beyond the arc. The Cats closed the Bulldogs’ lead to four following a three from Adou Thiero in the right corner.

D.J. Jeffries sank a shot-clock buzzer 3-pointer to put the Bulldogs back up 37-30 with under three minutes remaining in the half.

While both teams were shooting 50% from the field at one point in the first, Kentucky struggled defensively and was unable to tie the game or take any lead in the first. Despite D.J. Wagner hitting the last shot of the half, sinking a three to stop a Bulldog scoring run, the Cats were outrebounded 20-13, allowing the Bulldogs to lead 43-35 at halftime.

MSU came out of the break guns blazing and extended their lead 52-39 in the first two minutes of the second half, forcing John Calipari to call a timeout.

A Thiero alley-oop dunk brought the game within nine, contributing to a 6-0 run for Kentucky. However, a scoring drought for over three minutes halted any momentum the Cats gained earlier.

With just under 12 minutes left in the game, Reeves sank a clutch three and then on the next possession hit an and-1 bucket closing MSU’s lead 58-53. Thiero repeated his alley-oop slammer from earlier to make it a two-point competition.

Sheppard sank his fourth 3-pointer of the night to trail 64-63, but on the other end, Hubbard found his own rebound and made a jumper to give back a little cushion to the Bulldogs.

The Cats and the Bulldogs continued to trade baskets.

Kentucky took their first lead of the game 72-71 when Dillingham sank a left-corner three. Dillingham assisted freshman forward Aaron Bradshaw on a slam dunk to make it a 3-point lead. On the other end, Hubbard attempted a midrange jumper but his shot was blocked by Bradshaw, giving UK all the momentum for the rest of the game.

The Cats forced back-to-back Bulldog turnovers, one that finished with a Sheppard and-1 bucket at the rim. The freshman recorded 23 points in the second.

Kentucky could not breathe until the very end as the Bulldogs hit several clutch shots with under a minute left and MSU’s full-court press forced a turnover and a foul against Kentucky, bringing UK’s lead to 87-86 with 16 seconds left. Sheppard made it a 3-point game after sinking two free throws, but Hubbard hit a three to tie it at 89.

Sheppard hit a floater at the buzzer to win it 91-89. Sheppard led the Cats with 32 points on the night, recording a career-high and his first 30-point game in the Blue and White. Sheppard’s 32 is the new all-time high at the Hump. The North Laurel graduate passed his parents’, Jeff and Stacy Sheppard, career-highs as Wildcats. Jeff’s maxed out at 27 and Stacy was one behind with 26 points.

MSU’s Hubbard led the game with 34 points.

With Kentucky’s win, John Calipari ties former Alabama and Vanderbilt head coach C.M. Newton for most SEC regular-season wins in league history with 195.

Here is the box-score: