Short-handed No. 12 Kentucky takes down cold-shooting No. 8 Tennessee

The road win was even more impressive, given Kentucky was without senior guard Lamont Butler (shoulder), while senior forward Andrew Carr played only one minute after missing the Wildcats' most recent game against Vanderbilt due to a back injury.

After a disappointing last two games in which Kentucky allowed a season-high 102 points to No. 4 Alabama and did not reach 70 points in the loss to Vanderbilt, Tuesday was a step in the right direction for the Wildcats.

The 78 points were the most the Volunteers have given up all season with the second-best defense in the country (58.4 PPG), per TeamRankings.

Kentucky had its way on offense. The Wildcats shot 25-of-50 from the field and 12-of-24 from long-range. All five Kentucky starters scored in double figures with senior guard Koby Brea leading the way on a perfect shooting night (18 points, 5-of-5 FG, 3-of-3 3PT). This swish from the wing extended Kentucky's lead to 71-63 with just over five minutes remaining.

With Butler and Carr dealing with injuries, head coach Mark Pope had to mix in some different lineups. One player who continues to benefit from the increased playing time is freshman Trent Noah. In just nine minutes, Noah had five points (2-of-2 FG), including this catch-and-shoot to put Kentucky up 55-44 with 12:25 to play.

Although the defense has carried Tennessee throughout the season, that was not the case on Tuesday. The Volunteers attempted 45 three-pointers, but only made 11 of them. Senior forward Igor Milicic Jr. had a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds.

With back-to-back losses and three in their last four games, the Volunteers (17-4, 4-4 SEC) need their halfcourt offense to improve to allow the defense to play at a high level. A rematch against No. 5 Florida — who routed Tennessee 73-43 earlier this season — is up next on Saturday.

Kentucky (15-5, 4-3 SEC) ended its two-game slide despite the injury concerns. While the balanced production was there, the Wildcats gave up 18 offensive rebounds to Tennessee. With John Calipari returning to Lexington as Arkansas faces Kentucky on Saturday night, attacking the glass and getting their veteran players healthy should be the top priority going forward for the Wildcats.