Miles Kelly made a career-best nine 3-pointers and scored a season-high 30 points as top-ranked Auburn recorded a 94-78 victory over No. 17 Kentucky in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday for the Tigers’ first win in Lexington, Ky., in 37 years.
Chad Baker-Mazara matched his season high of 22 points and had three steals, while Tahaad Pettiford scored 21 points as the Tigers (27-2, 15-1 SEC) clinched at least a share of the SEC regular-season title. Auburn previously clinched a double bye for the SEC tournament.
Auburn snapped a 20-game skid on Kentucky’s home floor and improved to 3-51 all-time in Lexington. It was Auburn’s first win at Kentucky since a 53-52 upset of then-No. 1 Kentucky on Jan. 9, 1988. The other win came in 1983.
National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome had just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting for the Tigers. He also had six rebounds and three steals.
Koby Brea scored 21 points and Andrew Carr added a season-best 20 for the Wildcats (19-10, 8-8), who are just 5-7 over their past dozen games. Lamont Butler scored 15 points and Amari Williams registered 13 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists as the Wildcats dropped to 14-3 at home this season.
Auburn shot 51.8 percent from the field, including 12 of 26 from 3-point range.
The Wildcats made 46 percent of their shots and were just 4 of 17 from behind the arc. Jaxson Robinson (wrist) sat out for Kentucky for the fifth time in six games and was declared out for the season by coach Mark Pope following the contest.
Auburn led by 15 at halftime and soon pushed the lead to 20 when Kelly converted a four-point play to give the Tigers a 59-39 lead with 15:59 left.
A short time later, Chris Moore drilled a 3-pointer to make it 65-43 with 14:31 remaining.
Kentucky showed signs of making a run when Butler made back-to-back baskets to pull his squad within 71-58 with 10:24 to play.
However, Pettiford made two free throws, Kelly buried a 3-pointer and Chaney Johnson scored on a putback to give Auburn a 20-point lead with 8:36 remaining. The Tigers remained in control for the rest of the contest.
Kelly had 17 points, Baker-Mazara scored 16 and Pettiford had 11 as Auburn held a 49-34 halftime lead. Williams had 12 points in the half for the Wildcats.
Kelly made three treys during an early 12-0 run that gave the Tigers a 19-6 advantage.
Kentucky later received two free throws from Butler to pull within 34-28 with 6:38 left in the half before Auburn closed the half with a 15-6 surge. Baker-Mazara scored the Tigers’ final seven points to help account for the 15-point lead.
–Field Level Media
