Kentucky Comes Up Short Against No. 4 Texas, Drops Fifth Game in Six Tries
Coming off a gut-wrenching loss to Vanderbilt, Kentucky walked into Austin knowing the challenge ahead: take down a red-hot Texas squad riding a 39-game win streak at the Moody Center. The Longhorns, sitting at 22-2 with their only blemishes coming on the road against LSU and South Carolina, weren’t just defending home court - they were defending dominance.
To pull off the upset, Kentucky needed to be sharp, composed, and locked in for all four quarters. But on Monday night, that consistency never fully materialized. The Wildcats fell 64-53, dropping to 18-7 overall and 5-6 in SEC play - their fifth loss in the last six games.
It wasn’t a slow start offensively for Kentucky. They shot over 50% in the first quarter, moving the ball well and getting good looks.
But the problem was on the other end of the floor. Texas came out blazing, hitting 10 of their first 14 shots and shooting a scorching 71% in the opening frame.
The Longhorns were getting what they wanted - mid-range pull-ups, drives to the rim, and clean looks from deep. Kentucky trailed 23-19 after one, and the defensive urgency needed to match Texas’ firepower just wasn’t there early.
The second quarter started with a spark. Asia Boone gave Kentucky a much-needed lift, helping the Wildcats claw back to even things at 28-28.
But then came a brutal stretch - seven minutes without a single point. Turnovers piled up (seven in that scoreless span), the offense stalled, and Texas took full advantage.
The Longhorns closed the half on a 10-0 run, heading into the break up 38-28. It wasn’t that Texas was playing flawless basketball - Kentucky simply couldn’t get out of its own way.
To their credit, the Wildcats didn’t fold. The third quarter was a gritty, defensive battle, and Kentucky actually outscored Texas by three in the frame.
The Longhorns went cold late in the quarter, failing to hit a field goal for nearly four minutes. But even with the defensive stops, Kentucky struggled to capitalize.
The deficit was trimmed to 48-41 heading into the final period, but the margin for error was razor-thin.
In the fourth, Kentucky made one last push. They cut the lead to a single point - 49-48 - and for a moment, it felt like momentum had shifted.
But Texas responded like a top-five team does. They clamped down on defense, made timely buckets, and never let Kentucky take control.
The Longhorns closed it out, extending their home win streak to 40 games.
Now, the Wildcats turn their attention to a Thursday night matchup against Texas A&M. The Aggies, sitting at 9-10 overall and 2-8 in the SEC, recently snapped a six-game skid with a tight win over Alabama.
Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network, and Kentucky will be looking to regroup and protect home court as the regular season hits the stretch run.