Kentucky didn’t just survive a rocky start against No. 22 St.
John’s - they turned the CBS Sports Classic opener into a statement. After falling behind by double digits in the first half, the Wildcats regrouped, reloaded, and roared back with a dominant second half to take down the Red Storm, 78-66.
This one was a tale of two halves. Kentucky looked out of sync early, coughing up 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes - miscues that St.
John’s turned into 16 points. But the second half?
That was a different story entirely. The Wildcats outscored the Red Storm 53-34 after the break, locking in defensively and finally finding their offensive rhythm.
The ball movement improved, the turnovers dropped, and the energy flipped. It was the kind of turnaround that shows what this team might be capable of when firing on all cylinders.
A big part of that second-half surge came from freshman point guard Jaland Lowe, who made a gritty return after briefly exiting in the opening minute with what appeared to be a shoulder issue. He came back in the second half and gave Kentucky exactly what it needed: poise, pace, and control.
In 14 minutes of action, Lowe handed out three assists without committing a single turnover. That steadiness at the point helped Kentucky slash its turnover total to just five in the second half - a massive improvement that laid the foundation for the offensive explosion.
But Lowe wasn’t the only Wildcat to make his presence felt. Jayden Quaintance, making his season debut after recovering from a torn ACL, gave Kentucky a major boost off the bench.
The Arizona State transfer looked sharp in limited minutes, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in just 18 minutes. For a player coming off a major injury, it was an encouraging glimpse of what he could bring as the season unfolds - especially on the glass and as a rim protector.
For Kentucky, this win was more than just a comeback. It was their first victory over a ranked opponent in five tries this season - and it came at a moment when the team is finally starting to get healthy.
That matters. With SEC play looming, the Wildcats now sit at 8-4, and they’ll have one more tune-up against Bellarmine on Tuesday before the conference grind begins on January 3.
As for St. John’s, the loss drops them to 7-4.
Rick Pitino’s group was in control early but couldn’t keep pace once Kentucky found its footing. The Red Storm now have just one non-conference game left - a matchup with Harvard on Tuesday - before jumping into Big East play on New Year’s Eve.
The loss also adds a rare blemish to Pitino’s record in Atlanta, moving him to 9-2 all-time in the city and 6-13 in his career against his former program, Kentucky.
Bottom line: Kentucky showed resilience, depth, and a glimpse of the upside that’s been waiting to break through. If Saturday’s second half is a preview of what’s ahead, this team might just be getting started.