Kentucky head coach Mark Pope reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
NEW YORK, NY, (ABC36 NEWS NOW)- Mark Pope is looking for answers after #5 Kentucky had their shooting stifled versus unranked Ohio State in a 20-point loss on Saturday.
85-65 was the final score in Madison Square Garden for the second game of the CBS Sports Classic. Kentucky drops to 10-2 on the season with one more game to go before the SEC slate begins.
Bruce Thornton had a field day for the Buckeyes scoring a career-high 30 points, which also led all scorers on both teams. Former Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw scored 11 points in 18 minutes of play.
As for the Cats, 13 of Otega Oweh’s team-high 21 points came from the free throw line. While UK shot well at the charity stripe, they couldn’t convert elsewhere.
Kentucky shot 30 percent from field goal and 18 percent from three point ranges. Ohio State’s in-your-face defense didn’t give Pope’s team a lot of room to shoot.
The Cats return to action at home on New Year’s Eve versus Brown at 2 p.m.