Kentucky and Alabama prepared for a massive showdown Saturday afternoon, but the huge expectations for that game did not materialize.

The top-20 matchup in Rupp Arena provided plenty of fireworks, and the game did develop into a back-and-forth shootout. However, the Wildcats built an early lead and never looked back while building a 58-42 halftime lead.

At one point in the game, Kentucky led by 30 points and finished the game shooting better than 63% from the floor and 54% from 3-point range. Alabama also shot over 56% from the floor but finished 35% from 3-point range with 16 turnovers in the loss.

The outcome sets an intriguing picture for the final weeks of the SEC race as Kentucky has found its footing ahead of March Madness. Here are the key takeaways from a big afternoon in Lexington:

Kentucky delivers historic scoring performance

Kentucky and Alabam have a strong history of basketball matchups over the years, so it’s more than noteworthy when something historical takes place. That happened Saturday afternoon with the Wildcats setting a new high for points scored in a game against Alabama.

The previous high was 111 points when Kentucky beat Alabama in 1973. That game featured 95 points scored by Alabama.

The new record is 117 points with the Wildcats blasting past the Crimson Tide with a final score of 117-95. Five Wildcats scored in double figures Saturday, including 2 players off of Kentucky’s bench.

Justin Edwards delivers flawless breakout performance

Justin Edwards arrived on campus with all the expectations associated with a 5-star forward at Kentucky. He entered Saturday averaging 8.1 points per game, but Edwards delivered a breakout performance for the ages against the Tide.

When it was all said and done, Edwards finished a perfect 10-for-10 in shooting from the floor with a career-high 28 points to go with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He did miss one free throw, but that does not take away from his brilliance on Saturday.

Edwards was able to attack Alabama multiple ways, using transition to attack the rim in the first half:

That wasn’t the only way Edwards put his game on display. He was 4-for-4 from 3-point range, flashing his deep shooting time and time again as Kentucky built a massive second-half lead.

After the game, Edwards was asked about his shooting performance:

“I said the only thing I really missed was my own free throw,” cracked Edwards. He went on to discuss how Kentucky has improved their play recently, including the defensive performances of late.

“We’ve really grown. We’re locked in defensively and it shows… Just the last couple of games have really shown we can play defense.”

SEC race tightens

With Kentucky’s dominant outing, the Wildcats are now 9-5 in the SEC as Alabama drops to 11-3. The Crimson Tide’s lead in the standings is now a half game over Tennessee as the Vols prepare to face Texas A&M on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Kentucky is now 2 games back in the league standings with South Carolina (1 game) and Auburn (1.5 games) still chasing Alabama. It sets up a dramatic finish to the season with 4 games left over the final 2 weeks of the season.

John Calipari’s squad gets a manageable schedule to finish the year with a road trip to Mississippi State and home games against Arkansas and Vanderbilt before a regular-season finale against Tennessee on the road. Even if chasing down Alabama is a longshot, the Wildcats would love to clinch a double bye for the SEC Basketball Tournament, and fans can track all the odds for the postseason with SDS’s Kentucky sports betting apps. It’s also a brilliant turnaround for the Wildcats after previously losing 3 straight at home and 4 games in a 6-game stretch about a month ago.

In Tuscaloosa, Nate Oats’ squad has a much stiffer road to the end of the season with matchups against Ole Miss, Tennessee, Florida and Arkansas. The good news is that the game against the Vols will be at home, and Alabama will need a win to level the head-to-head series with the potential for a tie-breaker scenario involved.