Field Level Media
Dec 19, 2019
Timmy Allen scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Utah to a 69-66 win over No. 6 Kentucky on Wednesday night in the Neon Hoops Showcase at Las Vegas.
Utah's previous win against an AP Top 25 team was on Feb. 27, 2016, when it beat No. 9 Arizona 70-64 in Salt Lake City. The Utes (9-2) won their fifth consecutive game while snapping Kentucky's six-game winning streak.
The Wildcats (8-2) converted on three consecutive possessions in only 37 seconds, capitalizing on two Utah turnovers, to tie the game at 66 with 1:43 remaining in regulation. Kentucky scored 20 points off the Utes' 17 turnovers.
Allen's jumper with 1:21 left put the Utes ahead 68-66. After a miss by Kentucky's Ashton Hagans and a Utah shot-clock violation, the Wildcats had the ball with 32 seconds left.
Tyrese Maxey drove the lane and was called for charging with 22.7 seconds left. Utah's Rylan Jones made 1 of 2 free throws with 15 seconds remaining to give the Utes a 69-66 lead.
Maxey missed a 3-point attempt, and Kentucky's E.J. Montgomery scrambled for the offensive rebound and called timeout with 3.2 seconds left.
Immanuel Quickley's 3-point try at the buzzer was off the mark. Kentucky finished 2 of 17 from beyond the arc.
Utes guard Jones, who missed last weekend's game against Weber State with rib and ankle injuries, started and contributed 12 points and six assists. Both Gach finished with 14 points, and Riley Battin had 10.
Maxey scored 18 points for Kentucky, and Hagans amassed 16 points and eight assists.
Jones, one of 11 freshmen on Utah's roster, was forced to leave the game temporarily with 4:36 remaining after he fell on his right side, clutching his ribs, following a foul by Nick Richards on a drive to the basket.
Lahat Thioune made two free throws in his place to give Utah a 62-56 lead.
Kentucky, which trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half, cut the deficit to 62-60 with 4:07 left on two free throws by Richards.
--Field Level Media