Saturday should have been a celebratory day for Kentucky men’s basketball, as the program debuted a brand new court at Rupp Arena. Instead, the Wildcats suffered their second loss of the season, and it isn’t one that John Calipari will be able to write off too easily.
Kentucky, an 18.5-point favorite entering Saturday’s game, fell to UNC Wilmington 80–73. The stunning loss comes just days after Kentucky notched a statement win in the ACC/SEC challenge, taking down No. 8 Miami, 95–73.
Calipari’s club struggled to find the bottom of the net, shooting just 40.7% from the field and 5-for-17 from three point range. Guard Reed Sheppard had an impressive scoring effort, with 25 points and nine rebounds, but Kentucky’s bench was outscored 47–5 in the game. Seahawks’ forward Trazarien White led all scorers with 27 points off the bench.
