Kentucky fell to Alabama again. Their defense fell short again. Bama’s offense was on fire again. But one thing that did NOT repeat? Otega Oweh’s double-digit performance. The last time they faced off, he dropped 21 points. But this time was a completely different story. His 26-game streak of scoring in double figures came to a screeching halt—and Mark Pope’s leading scorer had his worst night of the season at the absolute worst time. 

Instead of his usual offensive spark, Oweh put up just two points before fouling out in Kentucky’s 96-83 loss to Alabama. Before this cold night in Tuscaloosa, the junior guard had been one of the most consistent scorers in all of college basketball. He entered the game averaging 16.2 points per contest, but against the Crimson Tide, he missed eight of his nine shot attempts and just never found his rhythm. In 22 minutes, he finished with six rebounds, two assists, two turnovers, and five fouls. It was not the kind of performance anyone expected from Kentucky’s go-to guy.

And when the head coach was asked about it, he wasn’t having it. “You baiting me into an answer here,” Pope said when questioned about Alabama’s defense shutting Oweh down. Staying firmly behind his player, he continued, “I think Alabama is a terrific defensive team.” 

And we can’t deny it. Bama held the Wildcats to 29-68 from the field and 9-26 on the three-point line. But that doesn’t change the fact that Oweh had been the only player in the entire SEC to put up 10 or more points in every game this season. The last Kentucky player to have a scoring streak this long? Malik Monk. That’s some elite company for the transfer from Oklahoma.

But against Alabama, he never seemed to get into the flow. And it stung more as Kentucky needed him, especially with Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson out. Still, let’s not forget, that the transfer guard has been an absolute force this season. He’s having career-highs across the board, from points per game (16.2) to field-goal percentage (.495), free-throw percentage (.768), rebounds per game (4.7), assists (1.6), and steals (1.5). 

But on this particular night, nothing went his way. And he got zero help from the officiating.

Mark Pope’s crew got no love from the refs

The Wildcats actually started strong, leading by 12 points at one point, but Alabama stormed back with a massive 29-10 run to flip the script. By halftime, Kentucky was already down by seven and many fans put the blame on HC’s substitution decisions. In the second half, things didn’t get much better. And the usual calm coach was visibly upset and he had every right to be. 

Two of his starters were in foul trouble all night, and Oweh fouled out without taking a single free throw. For a guy like Oweh, who plays with a physical, attack-the-rim style, not getting a single trip to the free-throw line tells you everything you need to know. He was getting held, bumped, and shoved on practically every play, and the refs just didn’t seem too interested in blowing the whistle. 

Pope, however, was VERY interested in making sure they knew how he felt about it. At one point, an official literally stopped the game just to glare at Pope before restarting play. You don’t see that happen unless a coach is seriously getting under their skin.

Despite all the foul trouble, Kentucky still managed to put up a fight, cutting Alabama’s lead down to four with eight minutes left. But Mark Pope will be the first to tell you—moral victories don’t exist in Kentucky. He liked the fight his team showed but admitted there’s still plenty of work to do.

It’s worth noting that the Wildcats could afford to lose to a top-five Alabama team on the road. But Wednesday’s game at Oklahoma is a must-win. The Sooners have only won four SEC games, and if the Wildcats want to stay on track, another even slightly off night like this one is not an option.