LSU Beats Kentucky At The Buzzer: 3 Things You Need To Know

(CTN News) – The LSU Tigers defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 75-74 in Baton Rouge on Wednesday night.

It was a fast start for both teams, but they slowed down as quickly. Kentucky’s scoring drought lasted close to five minutes, while LSU’s lasted over six minutes. Following that, runs seemed to follow.

In the second half, the Cats took control after taking a 27-26 lead from the Tigers. Kentucky led 36-27 at halftime.

After the break, Kentucky surged to a 15-point lead. In response, LSU scored 21-4. Afterwards, both teams fought and clawed, but the Tigers won on a buzzer-beater.

On Saturday afternoon, the Cats will return to Lexington to face the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Road warrior Reeves

This team would not be where it is without Antonio Reeves. A true warrior, he is even more so on the road. This season has been nothing short of incredible for Reeves. In away games, he averages close to 20 points, which is even better than at home.

Despite being away from Lexington, he dropped 20+ points for the fourth straight game. With that deadly floater and his ability to get to the rim, he excelled at all three levels. Most of Kentucky’s offense came from him (see below).

Slow decline in offense, steady improvement in defense

The Kentucky offense has hit a wall leading up to March. The last three contests have not been good for the team. In the meantime, the defense has been much better, and I wonder if that has left the Cats with less energy on offense.

The ball moves less. It hasn’t been as easy to make shots as it used to be. Turnovers have been a problem. It may be a good trade to sacrifice some offense, which has been stellar this season, for defense, which has been horrendous.

Tre Mitchell has been absent. Besides Ole Miss, he missed Auburn and LSU. The defense benefited, but the offense suffered. In this game, Edwards hit three triples and has shown marked improvement over this period. The defensive improvement is great, and it was much needed, but I’m hoping the Cats can find the right balance between offense and defense.

Cats have a chance after Dilly’s big second half

The most frustrating player on the court becomes the most exciting in a blink. Yeah, that’s how it went. After the first half, most of BBN yelled at the TV for Calipari to get Dillingham out of the game. There are times when he hurts.

It’s great to see full games from Dilly. There’s always a really fun half right before or after the rough one. While Reeves struggled with foul trouble, he exploded in the second half. With less than 10 seconds left, he hit the go-ahead shot to keep Kentucky in the game.

When he plays like he did in the second half, it’s easy to see why he’s a projected top-five pick in the NBA Draft. The big games from Reeves and Rob weren’t enough, as Kentucky lost another game.

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