NASHVILLE (KFSM) – In the first meeting between Arkansas and Kentucky, the Wildcats used a huge second half to roll to a 26 point win.
On Sunday, in the SEC Tournament championship game, it was a run just before the half that proved to be too much for the Razorbacks to overcome.
Kentucky ended the first half on a 9-0, including a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute, to build a double digit lead and they held Arkansas at bay to post a 82-65 win inside Bridgestone Arena.
The win gave the Wildcats their 30th SEC Tournament championship in school history. Arkansas has won the league tournament just once (2000) in six finals appearances.
Any rally was shut down as Arkansas (25-9) went a stretch of nearly seven minutes in the second half without a field goal and Kentucky was able to extend their lead to 63-44 with 7:00 left in the game.
The Razorbacks were able to cut the Kentucky lead to nine in the closing minutes but a pair of flagrant fouls allowed the Wildcats to pull away. Dusty Hannahs was called for an illegal screen then Moses Kingsley was called after delivering a blow to the face of De’Aaron Fox. Kingsley was ejected after he was given a flagrant two foul.
Daryl Macon led Arkansas with 18 points while Hannahs finished with 14 points and Jaylen Barford added 13. Kentucky was led by Fox with 21 points while both Malik Monk and Bam Adebayo finished with 17 points.