Kentucky Wildcats vs. LSU Tigers | Game Highlights | 2026 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament

Kentucky Wildcats vs. LSU Tigers - Highlights | 2026 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament First Round | 3/11/2026 Otega Oweh scored 23 points and delivered a clutch jumper in the final minutes to lead No. 9 seed Kentucky to an 87–82 win over No. 16 seed LSU in the opening game of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee. The Wildcats used a late push to hold off the Tigers and advance to the second round. Brandon Garrison provided a major spark off the bench with 17 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers during an 8–0 run that helped Kentucky stretch its lead to 73–64 with 9:32 remaining. Denzel Aberdeen added 16 points as the Wildcats (20–12) controlled key stretches of the second half to secure the victory. LSU (15–17) kept the game tight behind a strong performance from Max Mackinnon, who scored a game-high 28 points, including 18 in the second half. Mike Nwoko recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Marquel Sutton and Jalen Reece each added 11 points. Mackinnon’s 3-pointer just before halftime trimmed Kentucky’s lead to 46–43 at the break. The Tigers made one final push late in the game when Reece’s steal and fast-break layup cut the deficit to 79–74 with 2:53 left. But Oweh answered with a driving layup and later grabbed his own miss before stepping out to knock down a jumper from the free-throw line with 1:12 remaining to extend Kentucky’s lead to seven. Aberdeen sealed the win moments later with two free throws. Kentucky now advances to face No. 8 seed Missouri in the second round on Thursday. The Wildcats will look to avenge a 73–68 loss to the Tigers earlier this season at Rupp Arena. 🚨 Subscribe → https://www.youtube.com/@SEC 🎥 Watch more SEC Men’s Basketball Highlights → https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwtCoGcMK22qlAPTPhsKWyKd_fup90OGl&si=kfIDXUvl5BxhEz6z 💻 More SEC Basketball Content → https://www.secsports.com 🌐 SEC Social https://www.instagram.com/sec http://twitter.com/sec https://www.tiktok.com/@sec http://facebook.com/secsports #SEC #SECTournament #KentuckyMBB #LSUMBB #Wildcats #LSUTigers #CollegeBasketball #SECNetwork #ESPN #Highlights