Gonzaga held off a furious rally from No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday for a critical 89-85 victory that brought UK its first-ever three-game losing streak inside Rupp Arena. It marked the first Quad 1 win of the season for the Zags, who are on the bubble while attempting to reach their 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament.
The last time the Wildcats (16-7) lost three straight home games was 1966, which was 10 years before Rupp Arena opened. Gonzaga has now won 166 straight games when leading by 10 or more at halftime, but the visitors had to work to keep that streak alive after blowing a 12-point lead in the second half.
Reed Sheppard keyed Kentucky's rally by scoring all 21 of his points in the second half. His free throws with 12:30 remaining capped a 25-7 run and put the Wildcats ahead 57-51. The Zags (18-6) regained their footing from there with a heavy dose of Graham Ike. Gonzaga's big man led all scorers with 23 points as UK again struggled to make defensive stops in critical moments.
Anton Watson added a couple of clutch buckets in the final 1:31 to help the Zags maintain the lead. The Wildcats had a chance to tie the game coming out of a timeout with 13 seconds left, but Gonzaga's Ben Gregg intercepted Sheppard's lob pass toward the rim.
DOWN GOES NO. 17 KENTUCKY 🚨@ZagMBB beats the Wildcats in Rupp Arena. That's Kentucky's third straight loss at home for the first time since 1966 — 10 years before Rupp Arena opened. pic.twitter.com/hWPg5hmAa2
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 10, 2024
The Wildcats entered as the highest-scoring team in college basketball since Gonzaga averaged 91 per game in the 2020-21 season. Buckets are no problem for this bunch, and UK's second half run was marked by stretches of electric basketball. But in the end, it was UK's fourth loss in its last six games. Gonzaga has won two straight since losing at home to Saint Mary's last Saturday.
Bracketology: Zags still alive
Gonzaga has never missed an NCAA Tournament under 25th-year coach Mark Few, and only Kansas (33) and Michigan State (25) have been to more consecutive tournaments than the Zags. But even after picking up their first Quad 1 win of the season, the Bulldogs still have work to do.
"Gonzaga is still alive for a potential at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament, but barely," CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm said after the game. "The Bulldogs also likely need to win at Saint Mary's to give them two Quad 1 wins and then see what happens in the conference tournament, but as always, it depends on what other teams do."
Kentucky entered as a projected No. 5 seed in Palm's Bracketology and is still safely in the projected field. But the Wildcats are now just 4-5 since starting the season 12-2. A young team appears to be hitting the wall against the veteran-laden opposition found throughout college basketball.
Defense remains an issue
Gonzaga made 9 of its final 13 attempts from the field over the game's final nine minutes. It was a scene that is becoming too familiar for UK fans as the Wildcats remain mired in a concerning defensive slump. While the absence of starting center Tre Mitchell for a second consecutive game due to a back injury didn't help, it's no excuse for another defensive dud.
Even without Mitchell, the Wildcats still deployed three different towering big men in Ugonna Onyenso, Aaron Bradshaw and Zvonimir Ivišić. The Wildcats simply struggled with perimeter 1-on-1 defense yet again. Gonzaga made only 4 of 18 attempts from 3-point range, but the Zags were still able to get clean 2-point looks by beating UK defenders off the dribble. Ryan Nembhard orchestrated the attack with nine assists for Gonzaga as the Bulldogs amassed a 50-40 edge in paint points.
Gonzaga attempted just four 3-pointers in the second half, choosing instead to take the fight right at the Wildcats. It worked. Starting guards Nolan Hickman and Ryan Nembhard made just 1 of 7 attempts from the floor after halftime while Ike, Watson and Huff used their collective size and muscle. They combined for 34 points after the break and appeared physically stronger than their younger opposition.
Home woes
Kentucky has four more home games remaining and needs to win three of them in order to avoid matching a school record for most home losses in a season at six. Those games are against Ole Miss (Tuesday), Alabama (Feb. 24), Arkansas (March 2) and Vanderbilt (March 6). The Alabama game figures to be a challenge, but the Wildcats should be relatively heavy favorites in the other three. But between a home loss to UNC Wilmington on Dec. 2 and its current three-game slide at Rupp, UK has shown it can't be trusted to defend its home floor.
FAQs
17 Kentucky 89-85 on Saturday. The Wildcats (16-7) have now lost three straight at Rupp Arena for the first time since it opened in 1976. Kentucky hadn't lost three in a row at home since the 1966-67 season, when it played at Memorial Coliseum.
When was the last time Kentucky lost 3 straight home games? ›
The last time Kentucky lost three home games in a row was 1966, the year Rupp Arena's namesake, Adolph Rupp, had arguably the worst season of his career, with a 13-13 record. Funnily enough, that team featured a senior guard by the name of Pat Riley.
Did Kentucky men's basketball lose to Gonzaga at Rupp Arena? ›
For the first time in school history, the Kentucky Wildcats have lost three straight games at home in Rupp Arena, as Gonzaga stole an 89-85 win on Saturday afternoon. After a slow start, the No.
When was the last time Gonzaga lost in the first round? ›
The Zags would end their season by losing in the opening round for the first time since 2001, as Indiana beat Gonzaga 70–57. In 2007–08 the Bulldogs went 25–8, but lost in the Round of 64 as a #7 seed to a Davidson team that went to the Elite Eight as a #10 seed.
How many straight sweet 16s has Gonzaga been to? ›
North Carolina (1981 to 1993)
As impressive as Gonzaga's nine consecutive Sweet 16 appearances are, it has a ways to go to match North Carolina's 13-in-a-row streak from 1981 to 1993.
When was the last time Kentucky lost first round? ›
2022. The Wildcats were the victims of one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history two seasons ago when No. 15 Saint Peter's beat Kentucky 85-79 in overtime in the first round of the tournament.
Who has beaten Kentucky basketball the most? ›
Tennessee claims the most victories against Kentucky of any program in men's college basketball.
Who is Kentucky basketball's biggest rival? ›
The Kentucky–Louisville rivalry refers to the rivalry between the University of Kentucky Wildcats (Kentucky) and the University of Louisville Cardinals (Louisville). It is considered one of the most intense and passionate rivalries in the NCAA, especially in men's college basketball.
Did Kentucky lose to Gonzaga in a non conference game? ›
The University of Kentucky men's basketball team played the Gonzaga Bulldogs in a nonconference game in Rupp Arena on Saturday. The 17th-ranked Wildcats were defeated by the unranked Bulldogs 89-85.
Has anyone ever gone undefeated in college basketball? ›
The first came in 1951, when Lou Rossini led Columbia to a 21-0 regular season and an Ivy League championship. But the Lions would fall to No. 5 Illinois 79-71 in the first round of the tournament. The most recent undefeated regular season was in 2021, when Gonzaga went 24-0.
With New Mexico's loss, the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers remain college basketball's most recent undefeated national champions. Coached by Bob Knight, the Hoosiers were ranked No. 1 all season and defeated Michigan 86-68 in the 1976 national championship.
Has a basketball team ever gone undefeated? ›
How many undefeated NCAA men's basketball teams have there been? There have been even fewer perfect championship seasons on the men's side. It's been done a combined seven times by four programs: Indiana, North Carolina, San Francisco and UCLA. San Francisco became the first undefeated men's champ in 1955-56.
Is Gonzaga a Catholic school? ›
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Gonzaga
In keeping with our Catholic, Jesuit, and humanistic identity, Gonzaga is committed to honoring the dignity of every person.
Who has the most Sweet 16 appearances in a row? ›
#1, UCLA Bruins (14, 1967-1980)
The oldest and longest streak on record, the Bruins made it to the Sweet 16 14 times between 1967 and 1980. The Bruins were on the streak for four US presidencies. It was also the most productive of all the streaks, with UCLA winning a whopping eight national titles in 14 seasons.
Has Gonzaga ever won a national championship? ›
Gonzaga has never won the NCAA Tournament. Most recently, the Bulldogs advanced to the Elite Eight in the 2023 NCAA Tournament – their fifth Elite Eight appearance since 2015 – but they lost to eventual national champion UConn, 82-54.
Who beat Kentucky in 1966? ›
March 19, 1966
Texas Western, the first NCAA championship basketball team to have five Black starters, defeated the top-ranked, all-white University of Kentucky team.
When did Kentucky basketball go undefeated? ›
The team was led by sixth-year head coach John Calipari. The team was a National semifinalist in the NCAA tournament, competed in the school's 17th Final Four. It was Calipari's fourth Final Four appearance at Kentucky. The team finished the regular season with a perfect 31–0 record, the best start in school history.
When was the last time Kentucky didn t make the tournament? ›
Excluding the 2019-20 season, which saw the NCAA Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentucky had missed the postseason just once under Calipari, all the way back in 2012-13.
When did NCAA stop 3rd place game? ›
The third-place games were eliminated during this era, with the last regional third-place games played in 1975 and the last national third-place game played in 1981.
