Kentucky falls to 25-7 while Tennessee improves to 30-2.
Tennessee owns a 46-7 lead in the all-time series, including a 4-1 edge
at the SEC Tournament. UK's lone win over Tennessee at the SEC Tournament,
80-74, came in the championship game in 1982. Tennessee won 81-65 in the
only regular-season meeting earlier this season in Knoxville.
Kentucky's all-time SEC Tournament record slips to 22-31.
Coach Matthew Mitchell's overall record falls to 88-68, including a 58-39
mark at UK. Mitchell's record against Tennessee drops to 1-5.
Up next: Kentucky will learn its seeding in the NCAA Tournament on March
15. The tournament selection show will be broadcast on ESPN2. It will mark
UK's seventh overall appearance in the Big Dance, its first since 2006.
SEC Tournament Notes
This was UK's second appearance in the SEC Tournament championship game,
the first since the league went to a 12-team format in 1992. The Wildcats'
first appearance was in 1982.
Junior forward Victoria Dunlap and freshman guard A'dia Mathies were named
to the SEC All-Tournament squad. It marks the first time a UK player has
been named to the all-tournament team since Stacy McIntyre in 1992. Dunlap
averaged 22.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in three games of the tournament while
Mathies followed with 17.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Team Game Notes
Key run: After UK tied the game at 50-50, the Wildcats
were held without a basket for 5:53 until Dunlap converted a layup with 4:11
left to pull UK within 59-53. The Cats could get no closer as Tennessee outscored
UK 20-8 over the final 10 minutes of the game, holding on for the 70-62 win.
UK set the single-season mark for three-pointers made with 168. The previous
record was 164 by the 1994-95 squad.
Kentucky grabbed 10 steals against Tennessee. UK has swiped 10 or more
steals in 23 games this season.
UK extended its streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer to 219
consecutive games, dating back to the 2003-04 season.
Kentucky has held its opponent under 50 percent field goal shooting in
31 of 32 games this season.
Kentucky forced Tennessee into 20 turnovers. The Wildcats have frustrated
their foes into 10 or more turnovers in every game this season.