Kentucky vs. Ohio State: Score and Twitter Reaction for 2015 CBS Sports Classic

Ohio State (6-5) upset No. 4 Kentucky (9-2) on Saturday night, 74-67, in the CBS Sports Classic from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

A team that's trying to climb its way back from a four-game losing streak against the likes of Louisiana Tech and Memphis, Ohio State held Kentucky to just 39.7 percent shooting from the field. It wasn't easy, though. The Buckeyes saw a 16-point second-half lead dwindle to just three with four minutes remaining, but they managed to pull out the win.

Ohio State had four players record double-digit points, including 14 from forward Keita Bates-Diop, in a full team effort.

That wasn't the case for Kentucky, which relied on Jamal Murray to keep things close. He dropped 33 points Saturday, while the rest of his team scored just 34.

Freshman forward Skal Labissiere was slumping coming into Saturday afternoon, and it continued against Ohio State. He recorded a combined 18 points in his last four games and added just two points on 1-of-7 shooting Saturday.

He's had problems taking on more physical defenders down low and has seemed to shy away from contact at times. The freshman was trying to emit a tough presence early, as Cleveland.com's Bill Landis noted:

But Ohio State wasn't backing down. In fact, it was the Buckeyes who were setting the tone, taking their physical play right to Kentucky, which couldn't find an answer.

It didn't help that the Wildcats hit only three of their first 10 shots. SB Nation's Land-Grant Holy Land warned everyone to savor the moment:

Ohio State was lethal from three, sinking five of its first eight three-point attempts as Kentucky was slow to guard the perimeter, as ESPN's Jeff Goodman tweeted:

The Buckeyes shot 34 percent from distance as a team entering Saturday. They shot exactly 50 percent against the Wildcats, sinking nine of their 18 chances.

There were even more factors, according to the Columbus Dispatch's Adam Jardy, that helped Ohio State keep the Wildcats in check early:

Ohio State's lead continued to grow, hitting double digits, much to the disbelief of USA Today's Nicole Auerbach:

OSU Sports Center thought it was something special helping the team:

The lead hit 14 thanks to a 12-2 run, and some, like SB Nation's Harry Lyles Jr., speculated that some of Kentucky's most notable fans could be switching colors soon:

"

[drake resurfaces from the timeout in ohio state gear]

— Harry Lyles Jr. (@harrylylesjr) December 19, 2015"

Ohio State cooled off, though, and was held scoreless for over six minutes. Kentucky was able to bring the game back within eight, but the Buckeyes defense proved too tough to break down. 

This play to beat the buzzer only confirmed that everything was going Ohio State's way:

Kentucky's offense continued to sputter in the second half with some of its biggest stars basically being non-factors. Sporting News' Kami Mattioli saw what was wrong:

For an Ohio State team that has struggled a lot this season, this made little sense to Sports Illustrated's Ryan Krasnoo, especially when the Buckeyes opened their lead to a game-high 16 with 11:26 to go:

Murray seemed to take the Wildcats by the scruff of their necks and will them back into the game, shaving the deficit to seven, scoring eight straight points and impressing Goodman:

It was all part of a 13-4 run, setting up a nerve-wracking finish with six minutes to go. CBS Sports' Seth Davis wondered if it was too little, too late:

Three-pointers from Murray and Alex Poythress brought the Wildcats within three with four minutes to go, swinging the momentum to Kentucky. But Ohio State hustled with 2:56 left to gain some breathing room.

After a missed layup from Labissiere, the Buckeyes wrangled a loose ball away from Kentucky, creating a fast break that forced Tyler Ulis to commit an intentional foul on Kam Williams. It awarded Ohio State two free throws and possession, restoring a five-point lead at 65-60 that proved insurmountable. 

"People smell blood, they'll come after us," Kentucky head coach John Calipari said of the result, per Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. "That's just how it is. ... We played like freshmen." 

This was an enormous win for Ohio State, which is looking to overcome a 2-4 start to the season. Taking down one of the most consistent, storied franchises in the nation will give the team an important boost moving forward as conference play approaches. 

For Kentucky, the loss gives it an opportunity to regroup and address some glaring issues, as it might have to do some work to get back into the Top Five after this result.

Postgame Reaction

For Ohio State head coach Thad Matta, it was all about the defense's ability to contain the usually explosive Wildcats, per A Daly Dose of Hoops:

What could be even more impressive is the Buckeyes pulled out this win on such short rest, as Landis shows Matta describing the team's game plan:

But he had trouble finding a way to guard Kentucky's Murray, per Zagoria:

The good feelings weren't extending to Calipari's team, which knows it's showing weaknesses, per Auerbach:

And the coach believes Kentucky has a long way to go to become serious postseason threats, per Zagoria:

With the kind of talent it has on its roster, Kentucky of course has the potential to be a dangerous team come March. But Ohio State showed the nation a blueprint to how the Wildcats can be beaten. 

It might take a night of above-average shooting, but when one employs tenacity and relentless defense, Kentucky is beatable.

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com