Wednesday Quickies: Comeback Victory in Athens Edition

Kentucky point guard Ashton Hagans hit a three at the end of the first half to pull Kentucky within six of the homestanding Georgia Bulldogs last night, and the Wildcats took that little bit of momentum and outscored the Bulldogs 47-32 in the second half to come back and pick up its second win of the SEC slate and first road win of the season.

Kentucky’s backcourt led the way, with the trio of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, and Immanuel Quickley combining for 45 points and junior big man Nick Richards continued his recent hot streak scoring 17 points and grabbing 7 rebounds on a night where he only played 25 minutes due to foul trouble.

It was Kentucky’s first victory of the season in which the team trailed at halftime. A Georgia run at the end of the half had given the Bulldogs a nine-point lead, but Hagans’ three pointer with four seconds left (his only made three of the night) pulled the Cats into a more manageable six-point deficit at the break.

The team showed a lot of the fight that Calipari has been wanting to see from his team, overcoming a solid performance from Bulldogs superstar freshman Anthony Edwards, who scored 23. The Wildcats didn’t make life easy for Edwards, forcing him to take 17 shots to reach that scoring total.

Calipari-coached teams at Kentucky have typically struggled in raucous road environments during their first road trip of the season. Last night was a rowdy environment, but the Cats took an early punch and bounced back in a big way in the second half to go to 11-3 (2-0 SEC) on the season.

Next up: Kentucky hosts Alabama on Saturday at noon on ESPN. The Tide (7-6) play host to Mississippi State tonight at 7 E.T. on the SEC Network.

Tweets of the Day

Gotta remember, there are two halves.

Cats continue their dominance.

Quickies

Kentucky finishes strong for first true road win - Herald Leader

The Cats ended the game on a high note.

Maxey helps lead the way for the Cats - CBS

Maxey put together a big performance and made crucial plays down the stretch.

Crean says Nick Richards changed the game - KSR

It was another really solid showing for Nick.

Kentucky hopes this 2020 recruit can help replace Lynn Bowden - Courier Journal

Michael Drennen II is a major target for Kentucky.

Kentucky a 6-seed in new bracketology - ESPN

At a 6-seed. you couldn’t ask for a much better path.

Luka, Trae Young invited to three-point contest - Bleacher Report

Two of the NBA’s young stars will take center stage.

Tua’s departure leaves uncertainty at Bama - Yahoo

Mac Jones isn’t a guarantee as the Tide’s starter.

New XFL rules announced - SI

Are you excited for the XFL?