Kentucky Basketball defeats LSU in SEC Tournament: 4 things to know and postgame cheers

No. 9 seed Kentucky Basketball opened SEC Tournament play Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville with a tightly contested matchup against No. 16 seed LSU. In a game that featured several momentum swings, Kentucky leaned on senior guard Otega Oweh to pull away late and secure a much-needed 87-82 victory over the Tigers.

The Wildcats and Tigers battled back and forth for much of the afternoon, with neither team able to build a comfortable lead. LSU kept pressure on Kentucky with timely scoring and defensive stops, but Oweh stepped up when the Wildcats needed him most. The guard made key plays down the stretch, helping Kentucky maintain control and hold off LSU’s late push.

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For Kentucky, simply playing on Wednesday in the first round of the SEC Tournament was a rare sight. Historically, the Wildcats have finished high enough in the conference standings to earn at least a single bye, and often a double bye, allowing them to avoid the opening day of the tournament. This season’s ninth-place finish forced Kentucky into an earlier start than usual.

Despite playing on Wednesday, Kentucky managed to survive and advance, winning by five against LSU.

With the win, Kentucky moves on to the second round of the SEC Tournament, where it will face No. 8 seed Missouri on Thursday at 12:30 PM ET. Kentucky will have to win and play five straight days if they want to win the SEC Tournament this year.

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Here are four things to know from day one of the SEC Tournament

Otega Oweh continues to star for Kentucky

Otega Oweh continues to be the star for Kentucky. In Wednesday’s SEC Tournament opener against LSU, Oweh delivered exactly what the Wildcats needed, dominating both halves and showing why he has become a cornerstone of the program since transferring from Oklahoma.

In the first half, Oweh scored 13 of Kentucky’s 46 points, added five rebounds, two assists, and a steal while playing 19 of 20 minutes. His presence on both ends of the floor kept the Wildcats in a…

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Publish date : 2026-03-11 18:58:00

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