Andrew Carr recorded 19 points and seven rebounds and prevented a potential game-winning shot to help No. 4 Kentucky notch a 90-89 overtime victory over No. 7 Gonzaga at the Battle in Seattle on Saturday night.
Jaxson Robinson scored 18 points and Otega Oweh added 13 as the Wildcats (8-1) defeated Gonzaga after falling to the Bulldogs in each of the past two seasons. Amari Williams had 12 points and Brandon Garrison added 10 points and nine rebounds for Kentucky, which overcame an 18-point deficit in the second half.
Graham Ike registered season highs of 28 points and 11 rebounds for Gonzaga (7-2). Ben Gregg scored 14 points, Ryan Nembhard added 13 points and 10 assists and Khalif Battle also scored 13 points for the Bulldogs.
With Kentucky leading by one, Carr missed two free throws with 4.3 seconds left in overtime. Dusty Stromer got the rebound for the Bulldogs, but Carr knocked the ball away from behind in transition as Gonzaga failed to get a final shot.
Kentucky started the overtime strong. Oweh had a dunk and Williams hit back-to-back baskets. Oweh split two free throws to give the Wildcats an 86-79 lead with 2:48 left in the extra session.
Stromer and Nembhard answered with 3-pointers as Gonzaga crept within one with 1:50 remaining. Carr scored on a putback 39 seconds later to give the Wildcats a three-point edge.
Robinson’s runner gave Kentucky a 90-86 lead with 14.5 seconds left. Nolan Hickman answered with a 3-pointer with five seconds left to move Gonzaga within one.
In regulation, Robinson hit a jumper with 1:31 remaining in regulation to bring Kentucky within one. Ike split two free throws 17 seconds later before Carr made a short jumper to tie it at 79 with 1:01 remaining.
The Wildcats later played for the final shot and Oweh drove for the basket and Ike swatted his shot away with about four seconds left. The ball went to Koby Brea, who had an open look but his 10-foot shot bounced off the rim shortly before the buzzer.
Gonzaga shot 46.5 percent from the field, including 6 of 27 from 3-point range.
The Wildcats made 45.3 percent of their shots and were 7-of-25 from behind the arc.
Kentucky was down 56-39 early in the second half before rattling off 13 consecutive points to get back into the game. A jumper by Robinson capped the run and pulled the Wildcats within 56-52 with 14:49 left in the contest.
Ike had 18 points and eight rebounds in the first half as Gonzaga held a 50-34 lead.
–Field Level Media
