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Questionable officiating nearly cost Kentucky late vs. Tennessee

A bad Flagrant I call late nearly changed the outcome of Kentucky’s season-changing win.

Kentucky v Tennessee Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images

The Kentucky Wildcats knocked off the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, in what ended up being a physical matchup in Knoxville.

Luckily, the Cats knocked down their free throws this afternoon, going 22/25 from the charity stripe, but a flagrant foul called on Antonio Reeves late in the second half almost turned the tide.

With 2:45 remaining, Reeves drove down the lane against Santiago Vescovi while holding the ball above his head as he pushed through contact before the ball went out of bounds.

After a review, Reeves was called for a Flagrant I, which gave Tennessee two free throws and possession of the ball.

You can see the play in question below.

Kentucky was up 58-50 when the call was made. The Vols then went on a 6-0 run and had several game-tying attempts in the final minute before the Cats finished them off.

We can argue all day about that call no matter how bogus it was, but what made it worse was Uros Plavsic getting a way with not one but two plays that should have been called a Flagrant I

On one play, Plavsic pulled Cason Wallace down on a rebound.

On the second play, Plavsic pushed Oscar Tshiebwe down after a free throw (go here to see the second video).

Would love to hear an explanation on how this was missed, especially since you can obviously see Wallace’s jersey pulled.

Either way, the Cats winning in Knoxville is always sweet. Now let’s ride this momentum into another SEC matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs.