Wildcats Today

Three things we learned from Kentucky's overtime loss to Texas A&M

What did we learn from Kentucky's loss to Texas A&M?

Andrew Stefaniak

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The Kentucky Wildcats went on the road to face the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station and lost a close game 97-92 in overtime. 

When preparing for this game, we discussed how good Texas A&M is on the offensive glass, and they were as advertised in this one. 

What did we learn from the Cats' 97-92 overtime loss to the Texas A&M Aggies? 

Texas A&M dominated the boards

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We knew that for Kentucky to win this game, they would have to keep Texas A&M off the glass, and they could not do that. The Aggies had 25 offensive rebounds in this game, which turned into 21 second-chance points. It seemed like every time the Aggies had the basketball, they had two or even three chances to score, thanks to offensive rebounds. If Kentucky is going to get to the next level, they will need to start rebounding the basketball better and playing much better defense. 

Ugonna Onyenso played well

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Aaron Bradshaw missed nearly the entire game due to foul trouble, which meant Ugonna Onyenso had an increased role. He had seven points, ten rebounds, and five blocks in the Cat's first loss of SEC play. Onyenso hasn't played a ton of basketball this season fighting back from his injury, but a game like this will hopefully kickstart him. If Onyenso can play impactful basketball for Kentucky, it makes this team a whole lot better. 

The Cats couldn't finish in overtime

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Kentucky was able to get this basketball game to overtime but collapsed in the extra five minutes. In overtime, Texas A&M scored eight points, while the Cats only scored three points. This will likely not be the Cat's final overtime game, so they need to find a way to win the close ones. If Kentucky can't close out in games that are tight down the stretch, they will not make it deep in the NCAA Tournament. 

What's next? 

The Kentucky Wildcats will host the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Wednesday at 7:00 pm et. 

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Andrew Stefaniak
ANDREW STEFANIAK