Kentucky basketball seniors contribute in final home game at Rupp, routing LSU

Posted by author March 5, 2025 Basketball

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LEXINGTON — Otega Oweh could see the outcome before it even unfolded.

After Kentucky basketball teammate Andrew Carr swatted away a shot at the rim, Oweh picked up the ball and started a fast break. Just before he reached Rupp Arena’s midcourt line, he got rid of the ball, bouncing a pass in the direction of Lamont Butler. Oweh put just enough spin on the ball to zip it past the outstretched left arm of LSU big man Robert Miller III — all 6 feet, 11 inches of him — and into Butler’s hands.

Butler did the rest.

He threw down a thunderous one-handed jam that sent the home fans into a state of delirium.

The play was particularly appropriate: So many times this season, Butler was the one setting up Oweh for dunks in transition. On this night — senior night — Oweh the roles reversed.

“He’s always getting me right. He’s always kicking it up in transition. So I just tried to return the favor — and he noticed it, too,” Oweh said with a smile.

The highlight-reel pass-and-finish at the rim capped a 15-0 run for the Wildcats after the Tigers scored the game’s first two points.

That decisive stretch gave the hosts more than enough breathing room to dispatch the overmatched visitors, as Kentucky cruised to a 95-64 victory Tuesday to send off its senior class on a positive note.

After the 31-point rout, Oweh provided his bird’s-eye view of the play as it happened in real time.

“At first, I didn’t know what (Butler) was going to do, because I think he thought I was going to drive, so he was kind of deciding whether to cut or just run to the corner,” Oweh said. “But I just tried to lead him.

“I know he’s fast enough and athletic enough, so if I lead him there, he’s going to try and get it.”

No worries there for the Wildcats (20-10, 9-8 SEC): Butler saw it into his hands before taking flight.

“It was a really incredible play,” said Mark Pope, who notched a 20-win season in his maiden campaign as UK’s coach and the eighth time in 10 seasons as a college head coach, which includes stints at Utah Valley and BYU. “I thought (Oweh) was elite starting the game on the defensive end. That’s what we really cared about: We need him to start games being great defensively. And he was. Lamont was.

“But, O made a bunch of plays today. He made some really simple plays that look brilliant, right? I thought he was terrific.”

But Butler, who had five points and a game-high five assists, wasn’t the only member of the senior class who contributed Tuesday.

Carr finished with eight points and six rebounds. Center Amari Williams ended with nine points, six rebounds and three assists. Guard Koby Brea knocked down a pair of 3s to account for his six points. And forward Ansley Almonor had 15 points off the bench, making six of his seven field-goal attempts, including three of his four 3s.

“He had three or four really quiet, subpar games (recently compared to) his standard that he’s set,” Pope said of Almonor. “And sometimes all of the weight of this thing starts to get on your shoulders, and he did a great (job) tonight just casting it out. Like, ‘I’m going to be a baller, man. Make, miss, I’m gonna go play.’ I thought his energy and intensity was great tonight. I thought he was really special.”

Ironically, on senior night, it was a junior, Oweh, who led the way. The New Jersey native poured in a game-high 24 points (on 9-of-11 shooting) to go along with eight rebounds, which led all players Tuesday.

“I really thought Double Zero (Otega Oweh) was phenomenal,” said LSU coach Matt McMahon, whose team fell to 14-16 overall and 3-14 in conference competition. “I thought he really set the tone for the game on both ends of the floor (with) his physicality defensively, but then he was so efficient on the offensive end tonight.

“I thought he really dominated the game from the wing position.”

With its home slate wrapped up, UK has just one more regular-season game left: Saturday at Missouri. The Tigers are 21-8 overall in 2024-25. And with a 10-6 record in conference play entering Tuesday, they were fifth in the league standings.

Kentucky holds a commanding 15-3 lead in the all-time series with Missouri. But the programs have split the past four meetings. And the last time the pair squared off in Columbia, Missouri, the Tigers romped to an 89-75 victory.

Saturday’s matchup at Mizzou Arena is slated to tip off at noon.

ESPN will carry the national television broadcast.

This story will be updated.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.