Kentucky Wildcats Defeat Missouri Tigers in SEC Tournament

Wildcats advance to quarterfinals after second straight tournament win

Mar. 13, 2026 at 8:00am

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The Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Missouri Tigers 78-72 in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Nashville. Kentucky built a 16-point lead in the second half but had to hold off a late comeback by Missouri to secure the victory. Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 21 points, while Denzel Aberdeen and Collin Chandler also scored in double figures. Kentucky's bench provided a key boost, outscoring Missouri's reserves 13-0.

Why it matters

Kentucky's win over Missouri keeps their SEC Tournament hopes alive as they advance to the quarterfinals. The Wildcats will now face top-seeded Florida, who swept them in the regular season. This tournament run is crucial for Kentucky's NCAA Tournament aspirations after a challenging regular season.

The details

Kentucky jumped out to a 16-point lead in the second half, but Missouri fought back and took a 70-69 lead with 2:34 remaining. However, Kentucky's defense limited the Tigers to just two free throws and one field goal in the final two minutes to secure the narrow victory. Denzel Aberdeen hit a jumper as the shot clock expired to cap a 6-0 run, and he and Otega Oweh made free throws in the final seconds to seal the win.

  • Kentucky defeated LSU in the opening round on Wednesday.
  • Kentucky and Missouri previously met on January 7, with Missouri winning 73-68.

The players

Otega Oweh

Kentucky's leading scorer with 21 points in the win.

Denzel Aberdeen

Kentucky guard who scored 16 points, including a key jumper late in the game.

Collin Chandler

Kentucky forward who scored 15 points and hit two of the team's six 3-pointers.

Mouhamed Dioubate

Kentucky reserve who provided a spark off the bench with 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Mark Pope

Kentucky's head coach who praised his team's composure in holding off Missouri's late comeback.

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What they’re saying

“We didn't allow them to frustrate us. We kind of got frustrated a little bit because, for the last game, they were like, we'll play great deep into (the shot clock), and there were two seconds left, so that would kind of get us frustrated.”

— Denzel Aberdeen, Kentucky guard

“When we got that lead, we didn't let up, and we kind of just knew that they were going to crawl their way back, but we knew we knew what to do and we knew how to handle ourselves.”

— Malachi Moreno, Kentucky forward

“We hope it keeps going for a few more days.”

— Mark Pope, Kentucky head coach

What’s next

Kentucky will face No. 5 Florida in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Friday at 1 p.m. ET. The Gators swept the Wildcats during the regular season.

The takeaway

Kentucky's ability to hold off Missouri's late comeback and secure the narrow victory demonstrates the team's resilience and composure, which will be crucial as they continue their SEC Tournament run and look to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume.