LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The Auburn Tigers, down four points at the half, rode a 15-3 run during the second half and defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 66-59.
The Tigers struggled on offense during that first half and trailed early 9-2 following Jacob Toppin’s bucket. Toppin would finish the game with 10 points.
Later, the Wildcats’ Dontaie Allen, who tallied 8 points, connected on a trey that left UK up 23-19. Kentucky led at the intermission, 25-21.
Auburn’s play picked up at the offensive end. Tigers’ guard, Sharife Cooper dished to Devan Cambridge for a hoop on a fast break and the home team moved in front by five, 48-43 with 8:27 to play. Later, UK’s Brandon Boston threw a bad pass that Tigers turned into points. Off that steal, Allen Flanigan got a stickback bucket that put the Tigers up 54-46. Then off another Auburn takeaway, J.T. Thor scored to put the Tigers up 10, 56-46 to cap off that 15-3 spurt. Flanigan led all scorers with 21 points.
Kentucky’s Davion Mintz connected on back-to-back buckets to cut into the Auburn lead at 56-50 as the Wildcats put together a 10-2 run. Mintz led UK with 11 points. Kentucky’s Devin Askew scored on consecutive possessions to help the Cats trim the Tigers’ lead to 58-56 with 1:40 to play.
With less than a minute to go, Auburn’s Sharife Cooper drove down the lane and his layin put the Tigers up four points, 62-58. Cooper wound up scoring 11 while dishing eight assists.
Kentucky, which dropped to 4-8 on the season, will play at Georgia on Wednesday night.
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