College basketball final: Kentucky 96, Saint Joseph’s 88 in overtime
The Kentucky men’s basketball team faces the Saint Joseph’s Hawks in a college basketball game Monday at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is 7 p.m. on the SEC Network.
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Final: Kentucky 96, Saint Joseph’s 88 in overtime
Tre Mitchell hit a pair of big 3-pointers and Reed Sheppard made a pair of key steals as Kentucky outlasted Saint Joseph’s in overtime at Rupp Arena.
Kentucky and Saint Joseph’s go to overtime
Christ Essandoko made the first, but missed the second free throw. D.J. Wagner missed a drive at the other end and we are headed to overtime tied at 77.
Saint Joseph’s takes lead 76-75
Cameron Brown hit a 3-pointer with 43 seconds left to put Saint Joseph’s up 76-75 on Kentucky. After nearly turning the ball over, UK calls time with 35.7 seconds left.
Kentucky’s lead just two with 3:59 left
The Cats are clinging to a 71-69 lead with 3:59 left here at Rupp. Saint Joseph’s has made 7 of 15 three-pointers in the second half and is 13-for-32 from beyond the arc for the game. Erik Reynolds leads all scorers with 23 points.
Kentucky up 63-57 with 8:00 left
Antonio Reeves still leads the Cats with 18 points as UK leads Saint Joseph’s 63:57 with 8:00 left. UK is shooting an even 50%. Saint Joe’s is shooting 38.2% for the game. The Hawks have made 11 of 28 3-point shots, including 5 of 11 in the second half.
Erik Reynolds gets hot for Saint Joseph’s
Saint Joseph’s guard Erick Reynolds now up to 21 points as the Hawks have cut Kentucky’s lead to 55-52 with 13:33 left. That prompted a Calipari time out. Reynolds had just made back-to-back 3-pointers.
Kentucky’s hot shooting continues
Kentucky up 53-46 on Saint Joseph’s at 14:44 mark of second half. Cats are shooting 51.4%. Also 9 of 16 from 3.
Saint Joseph’s takes early second half timeout
Saint Joe’s Rasheer Fleming misses two free throws, much to the fans “We want our Chick-fil-A” delight. Reeves then buries a 3 from the right corner and the visitors call time with UK up 49-40. There’s 17:18 left at Rupp.
Halftime: Kentucky 41, Saint Joseph’s 38
The Hawks tied the game at 38 before a Tre Mitchell triple with 31 seconds left in first half gave Kentucky a 41-38 lead at intermission. Saint Joseph’s outrebounded John Calipari’s club 22-15 over the first 20 minutes. Cats shot 48.3%. Hawks shot 38.9%. After a hot 17 of 32 from 3 against Stonehill on Friday, UK was 7 of 13 from beyond the arc in the first half.
After scoring 25 points on Friday, UK’s Reed Sheppard did not take a shot in the first half. He played 13 minutes and contributed four assists with three steals. He did commit two turnovers.
Kentucky 35-29 with 2:15 left in first half
Antonio Reeves now with 13 points for the Cats. Erik Reynolds with 12 points for Saint Joseph’s.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and first lady Britainy Beshear sitting courtside at Rupp Arena with Ellen Calipari tonight.
— Ben Roberts (@BenRobertsHL) November 21, 2023
Kentucky takes the lead
Kentucky took its first lead at 20-17 on a 3-pointer by Robert Dillingham at the 10:42 mark. It’s 23-22 Cats at the 6:40 TV timeout. Dillingham leads the way with 10 points. Saint Joseph’s is 8-of-27 shooting for 29.6%. The Hawks are 2-of-12 from three. Kentucky is 8-of-18 from the floor, including 2-of-6 from three. Dillingham is 4-for-6 from the field. He’s hit both of his threes.
Kentucky and Saint Joseph’s tied at 17-17
UK and Saint Joseph’s are knotted at 17 at the 11:05 TV timeout in the first half. Antonio Reeves leads the Cats with six points. Saint Joseph’s has made 6 of 19 shots for 31.6%. The Hawks are 1-of-7 from 3-point range. Kentucky is 6-of-13 shooting. After making 17 triples on Friday night, UK is 0-of-3.
Saint Joseph’s up at first TV timeout
Saint Joseph’s leads Kentucky 9-7 at the 15:20 TV timeout. The Hawks opened the game on a 7-2 run. The visitors have made 4 of 11 shots. Kentucky off to a cold shooting start. The Cats are 2-of-7 from the floor. They’ve missed all three of their 3-point attempts.
Where to watch, how to follow the Kentucky men’s basketball game vs. Saint Joseph’s
First Scouting Report: In Saint Joseph’s, UK will face a team with which Cats have a past
How did Kentucky’s loss to No. 1 Kansas affect the Cats’ place in the Top 25 rankings?
Reed Sheppard gave everyone in Rupp Arena a night to remember. ‘And he deserves it.’
