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Kentucky downs Arkansas to remain undefeated and claim 46th SEC title

Andrew Harrison and Trey Lyles each scored 18 points, and Kentucky rolled past Arkansas 84-67 Saturday to clinch the SEC regular-season title.

Trey Lyles - photo by Walter Cornett

– photo by Walter Cornett

and Trey Lyles each scored 18 points, and top-ranked rolled past No. 18 84-67 Saturday to clinch the Southeastern Conference regular-season title.

The long-awaited marquee matchup of the 's top two teams belonged to the undefeated Wildcats (29-0, 16-0) on both ends as they earned their 46th league title and halted a three-game losing streak against the Razorbacks (23-6, 12-4). Kentucky's league-leading defense held the conference's top scoring team to just 38 percent shooting and 12 points below its average.

The Wildcats meanwhile shot 48 percent from the field and outrebounded the Razorbacks 38-32, among other statistics, to extend their best-ever start.

added 14 points and 10 for Kentucky, which led by as many as 31 with eight minutes left.

Michael Qualls' 17 points led four Arkansas players in double figures, but the Razorbacks couldn't keep up after the early minutes.

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On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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