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Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball's overtime win over Mississippi State

jon hale, louisville courier journal
·4 min read

LEXINGTON - Kentucky basketball flirted with disaster Tuesday against Mississippi State but escaped Rupp Arena with an 82-74 victory thanks to Kellan Grady's overtime heroics.

After shooting 4 for 12 in regulation and missing a possible game-winning 3 at the buzzer, Grady scored Kentucky's first eight points of overtime. He hit back-to-back 3s to give the Wildcats an 80-74 lead with 1:12 remaining.

Kentucky led by as many as 16 points in the second half and led by 15 with just more than 12 minutes remaining in regulation. Mississippi State tied the game three times in the second half but never led.

Before Grady took over in overtime, Kentucky was largely carried by junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe who tallied 21 points and 22 rebounds. The performance marked Tshiebwe's fifth 20-rebound game of the season.

Junior point guard Sahvir Wheeler added 15 points and six assists. Junior forward Keion Brooks also finished in double figures with 12 points.

Preseason All-SEC guard Iverson Mollinar led Mississippi State with 30 points on 13-of-21 shooting.

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Offense struggles without TyTy Washington

As teammate Zan Payne yells at left, Kentucky's TyTy Washington gestures after a score in the second half. Washington was on the bench after being injured January 22, 2022 during the game at Auburn. The Wildcats held on to win 82-74 in overtime against visiting Mississippi State at Rupp Arena Tuesday night. January 25, 2022
As teammate Zan Payne yells at left, Kentucky's TyTy Washington gestures after a score in the second half. Washington was on the bench after being injured January 22, 2022 during the game at Auburn. The Wildcats held on to win 82-74 in overtime against visiting Mississippi State at Rupp Arena Tuesday night. January 25, 2022

Freshman guard TyTy Washington, UK's second leading scorer, did not play due to a left ankle injury suffered in the first half of Saturday's loss at Auburn. Even with Wheeler, who was also injured at Auburn, playing, Kentucky's offense clearly missed Washington.

Starting guards Davion Mintz and Kellan Grady combined to shoot 6 for 21 from the field in regulation. As a team, Kentucky shot 6 for 23 from 3-point range.

Kentucky shot just 39.4% in the second half. The Wildcats made just 1 of 10 3-point attempts in the second half.

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Dontaie Allen finds Mississippi State magic again

Kentucky's Dontaie Allen had this put-back dunk in the first half in the game against Mississippi State. He played the final 10:30 of the first half after playing just seven minutes total in the last six games. The Wildcats held on to win 82-74 in overtime against visiting Mississippi State at Rupp Arena Tuesday night. January 25, 2022
Kentucky's Dontaie Allen had this put-back dunk in the first half in the game against Mississippi State. He played the final 10:30 of the first half after playing just seven minutes total in the last six games. The Wildcats held on to win 82-74 in overtime against visiting Mississippi State at Rupp Arena Tuesday night. January 25, 2022

While he did not duplicate his two 23-point performances against Mississippi State last season, sophomore guard Dontaie Allen did post his best performance of the season against the Bulldogs again.

Allen, playing extended first half minutes for the first time in months due to Washington's injury and foul trouble from Wheeler and Davion Mintz, announced his presence in emphatic fashion with a thunderous put-back dunk at the 7:54 mark in the first half. He then skied for a two-handed block that resulted in a jumped ball.

The former Mr. Kentucky basketball even ended his prolonged 3-point slump with just his seventh 3 of the season. Allen shot 39.7% from 3-point range last season but entered the game having made just 6 of 32 3-point attempts this season.

Allen's points were his first since Nov. 29 against Central Michigan. He played the final 10:30 of the first half after playing just seven minutes total in the last six games.

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The Shaedon Sharpe wait goes on

Despite Kentucky's injury situation and first-half foul trouble, freshman guard Shaedon Sharpe, who did dress out for the game and participate in warmups, did not play.

Kentucky coach John Calipari has recently opened the door to Sharpe, the former No. 1-ranked recruit in the class of 2022, playing this season after he initially graduated high school early to enroll at UK this semester with the intention of practicing only. On his radio show Monday, Calipari said Sharpe was not ready to play in Saturday's loss at Auburn when both Washington and Wheeler were sidelined with injuries but then suggested Sharpe might be nearing a debut.

"The last couple days he’s stepped on the gas a little bit and done some things," Calipari said. "I think our team would like me to put him in. ... He does something, they all kind of look at me like, 'Come on now. If that’s who he is, put him in.'"

It seems unlikely that Calipari would had Sharpe his first minutes in a hostile road environment like the one expected Saturday at Kansas, so next Wednesday's home game against Vanderbilt is probably the next realistic opportunity for Sharpe to play.

By then, Washington might be back on the court though, lessening the need for another guard.

Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball vs. Mississippi State: Cats hold on in overtime