Kentucky drops a thrilling game to 3-seed Kansas State in Round of 32
Kentucky basketball’s 2023 season came to an end Sunday at the hands of the Kanas State Wildcats, who were led by Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell. The 2 star Wildcats combined to score 40 points, with Nowell dropping 27 on the way to a 75-69 win. With the victory, Kansas State will move on to the Sweet 16 to face off against one of Michigan State or Marquette.
Both teams struggled to score Sunday evening, with 3-point shots hurting Kentucky especially. They made just 4 of their 20 3-point attempts on the day. Kansas State also forced the Wildcats into 16 turnovers, not exactly a winning formula combined with a less than ideal shooting performance.
Oscar Tshiebwe and Cason Wallace put on incredible performances despite the loss. Wallace was 1 rebound shy of a 21-point double-double, while Tshiebwe earned a 25-point 18-rebound double-double, leading Kentucy’s 45-25 dominance on the boards. Chris Livingston was the only other Wildcat that scored in double digits, dropping 11 points with 7 rebounds.
.@KStateMBB heads to the Sweet 16 in coach Jerome Tang’s first season ? pic.twitter.com/B0eFQCqxcL
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 19, 2023
Kentucky goes home with a final record of 22-12.