It was a battle, but Kentucky was able to once again pull out the win 76-67 over Texas A&M. The Aggies had been surging since starting conference play, however, that came to a screeching halt in Lexington. That gives the Wildcats three in a row now, as well as what looks like an official winning streak.
For what seems like forever, fans have clamored for a lineup of Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick, Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin, and Oscar Tshebwe. Since committing to this lineup as the ‘primary’ one, Calipari finds himself with three consecutive wins over Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas A&M. The now not-so-secret sauce is beginning to pay dividends for the Wildcats.
This one, however, did not come easy as the Wildcats found themselves down at halftime. That being said, with some grit, determination, and a big game from Reeves, Kentucky found a way to come out on top, putting an end to the Aggie’s undefeated SEC streak. As for Kentucky, their season of redemption marches on.
As touched upon, Antonio Reeves came through in a major way with a game-high 23 points, including hitting five from downtown. Jacob Toppin added 17, CJ Fredrick had 12, Cason Wallace contributed 11, while Chris Livingston produced 6 points off the bench. The reigning player of the year, Oscar Tshebwe only scored 7 points, however, made his usual impact on the boards with 17 rebounds.
Kentucky couldn’t have found a better time to hit their stride as we begin to get into the meat of conference play, while also preparing to face Kansas in the very near future. What looked to be a season of disappointment and unrealized potential is now looking like it could be one of the most exciting seasons for the big blue nation in recent memory.
The road is still long, however, as we tread towards March and the madness that ensues, with that, If the Wildcats can keep this momentum going, they could very much be in the middle of what looks to be a wide-open race toward final-four glory. As always, only time will tell, however, the Wildcats and fans now have something few thought they would have just a short time ago, real hope.
