KNOXVILLE – For 30 seconds it had all the makings of another Rick Barnes victory over John Calipari inside Kentucky basketball’s little shop of horrors known as Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena.
Four times in a row – or every year since Barnes took over the Big Orange program prior to the 2015-16 season – UK’s Calipari had ventured into the Boling Alley with a seemingly superior team and slinked away with a loss.
In the worst of those, Big Blew threw away a 21-point first-half lead during Barnes’ first year on the job against his close friend Cal.
And when Saturday afternoon’s nationally televised game began with Volunteers senior guard Jordan Bowden blocking a 3-pointer by the Wildcats’ Tyrese Maxey after only 21 seconds, soon to be followed by a 30-second shot-clock violation, members of both the Big Orange and Big Blue nations had to wonder if a fifth straight UT win on home hardwood was soon to follow.
But soon enough UK was on top 9-4, then 26-15, then 37-30 at halftime. From there UT never again pulled closer than four before losing 77-64.