No. 22 Kentucky deals No. 13 Auburn first home loss this season

Field Level Media|published: Sat 17th February, 20:55 2024

Kentucky Wildcats guard Adou Thiero (3) drives the ball on Auburn Tigers forward Chad Baker-Mazara (10) as Auburn Tigers take on Kentucky Wildcats at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. credits: Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Antonio Reeves scored 22 points to help No. 22 Kentucky post a 70-59 wire-to-wire victory over No. 13 Auburn in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday.

Adou Thiero added 14 points and eight rebounds and Rob Dillingham scored 11 points for the Wildcats (18-7, 8-4 SEC). Ugonna Onyenson had 11 rebounds and Reed Sheppard had five steals for Kentucky.

Johni Broome recorded 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots and Chad Baker-Mazara also scored 14 points for Auburn (20-6, 9-4). Denver Jones added 12 for the Tigers, who fell to 13-1 at home this season.

Kentucky shot 44.4 percent from the floor and made 4 of 13 from 3-point range. Tre Mitchell (shoulder) sat out for the third time in four games. His first two absences were due to a back injury.

The Tigers made just 30.9 percent of their attempts, including 4 of 22 from behind the arc.

Auburn's Jaylin Williams left with a knee injury sustained in a fall with 10:40 left in the game and was quickly ruled out. He had just three points in 24 minutes.

Kentucky scored the first four points of the second half to take a 43-29 lead and still led by 11 after Thiero's dunk with 15:03 left in the contest.

But Auburn used consecutive baskets by Baker-Mazara, K.D. Johnson and Broome to move within 47-42 with 13:10 remaining.

Reeves got hot and scored 13 of Kentucky's next 17 points. His 3-pointer with 8:42 left pushed the lead to 58-46. He later made a jumper and layup in a 48-second span as the Wildcats increased their lead to 64-48 with 6:05 left.

Auburn answered with eight straight points and Broome's two free throws cut the Kentucky lead to 64-56 with 2:59 left to play, but the Wildcats staved off the charge.

Dillingham had all 11 of his points in the first half and Kentucky had a 15-0 edge in points off turnovers while holding a 39-29 advantage at the break. Baker-Mazara had seven in the half for the Tigers, who shot just 28.1 percent over the 20 minutes.

The Wildcats ripped out to an 11-2 lead at the outset and later received consecutive three-point plays by Thiero to take a 27-15 lead with 5:09 left in the half.

Baker-Mazara made two free throws to cap a 10-3 run as Auburn moved within 30-25 with 2:49 left. Dillingham scored Kentucky's last six points of the half to push the lead back to 10.

—Field Level Media