FINAL: Tennessee Suffers First SEC Loss, Kentucky Finds Footing

Despite coming off a cold stretch, the Kentucky Wildcats found their footing and outmatched Tennessee, handing the Volunteers their first SEC loss this season.

National critics piled on Kentucky all week. They were an easy target, losing to South Carolina after getting blasted by Alabama. Head coach John Calipari was a sore subject, and a fan held a "Please Go to Texas" sign at Rupp Arena.

The Wildcats felt the pressure and came out with a revamped mindset. They played physically from the opening tip, applying pressure and fighting through the whistle.

Meanwhile, Tennessee felt the momentum tipping in its favor. They are the No. 5 team in college basketball, and some ventured to say they were the best team in a conference that features Alabama.

Kentucky outplayed Tennessee all game. Guard Zakai Zeigler missed three layups, and forward Santiago Vescovi had a rough shooting afternoon for his standards. 

The Volunteers executed well in the last two minutes but ultimately came up short. They appeared rattled toward the end, needing just one basket to even things up but coming up empty on two consecutive possessions.

While it's only one game in January, it's the type of loss that could resurface with a bad first half in March. Head coach Rick Barnes must correct the locker room in the coming days as they prepare to delve further into conference play.

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