LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kellan Brooks made seven 3s for a season-high 25 points, Oscar Tshiebwe added 21 points with 14 rebounds and No. 4 Kentucky rallied twice to top No. 25 Alabama 90-81 on Saturday.
Short-handed because of injuries to starting guards TyTy Washington Jr. and Sahvir Wheeler, the Wildcats (22-5, 11-3 SEC) trailed 46-34 with 3½ minutes remaining before halftime before closing with 13 straight points for their first lead. Grady’s 3-pointer capped the run that draw a thunderous roar in Rupp Arena.
The Crimson Tide (17-10, 7-7 SEC) erased a 54-48 deficit early in the second with eight points in a row to go up by two before Kentucky responded with a 20-2 surge over 5:47 to seize control at 74-58.
Consecutive 3s by Jaden Shackelford and Keon Ellis, who had a season-high 28 points, sparked a rebound that eventually got the Crimson Tide within 80-73 with 4:53 left, but Grady sank another 3 and Davion Mintz added a jumper for a double-digit cushion.
Keion Brooks Jr. leaped high for a huge putback dunk with 57 seconds left to finish with 18 points to seal the outcome as Kentucky regrouped from Tuesday night's 76-63 loss at No. 16 Tennessee.
Grady was 9 of 16 overall from the field for his career best with Kentucky. Tshiebwe was 9 of 13 as the Wildcats shot 53% to seize a game of runs.
Shackelford had 18 points and Noah Gurley 12 for the Crimson Tide.
BIG PICTURE
Alabama jumped on the depleted Wildcats with red-hot shooting from deep before going cold late in the first half to fall behind. The Crimson Tide briefly found their stroke to lead in the second and attempt a rally, but their reliance on the long ball ultimately cost them a chance for a big win.
Kentucky: Missing Washington and Wheeler put the Wildcats at a disadvantage on both ends of the floor. Grady kept them in it before he got hot in the second half, and others chipped in a way few could have imagined.
UP NEXT
Alabama visits Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.
Kentucky hosts LSU on Wednesday night.
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