Yardbarker
x
Wild scrum breaks out after Kentucky beats No. 24 Tennessee
The Kentucky Wildcats bench reacts to a play against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Wild scrum breaks out between benches after Kentucky beats No. 24 Tennessee

The Kentucky Wildcats rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit against No. 24 Tennessee to take an 80-78 win in Knoxville on Saturday, but chaos ensued after the final buzzer. 

Trailing by two with 2.6 seconds left, Tennessee's Ja'Kobi Gillespie intentionally missed the second of two free throws to give the Vols (12-6, 2-3 SEC) an opportunity at an offensive rebound. And while Jaylen Carey did secure a board for UT, he was blocked by Kentucky's Malachi Moreno — who made the game-winning shot against LSU on Wednesday — to seal a huge road win for the 'Cats (12-6, 3-2 SEC). 

Scrum ensues after the buzzer

That was when all heck broke loose in the Food City Center. 

After one UT and UK player shoved each other, both benches cleared in an effort to keep things civil. Officials tried to direct players away from each other, while Kentucky head coach Mark Pope sprinted over to ensure his players could do nothing to jeopardize the result of the game. 

Aside from a few more pushes and shoves, the scrum dissipated, with no penalties handed out that affected the result of the game. 

It was a chippy conclusion to a hard-fought SEC contest that could have major ramifications down the road. Kentucky has managed to claw its way to two SEC comeback wins in a row, while Tennessee remains one of the most inconsistent teams in the nation. 

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!