Kentucky vs. LSU: Score, Highlights and Reaction from 2016 Regular Season

The LSU Tigers basketball team is supposed to be Ben Simmons and the supporting actors. Someone forgot to give Tim Quarterman and Craig Victor II the memo Tuesday during the Tigers' 85-67 demolition of the No. 9-ranked Kentucky Wildcats. 

Quarterman posted 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Victor added 15 points and 12 rebounds. Throw in Simmons' final line of 14 points and 10 boards, and ESPN College Basketball noted the Tigers had a balanced attack in the victory:

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Triple threat.  3 LSU players put up double-doubles tonight vs. Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/zjy8uaOJbj

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) January 6, 2016"

LSU saw its double-digit lead shrink to four with less than 10 minutes remaining, but foul trouble and poor shooting ended any comeback hopes for the Wildcats. Kentucky missed 11 free throws and only shot 7-of-20 from three-point range and 41.4 percent from the field on the way to its third loss in seven games.

Even with an impressive showing from his teammates, Simmons managed to turn in yet another double-double. It was business as usual for the freshman, as ESPN Stats & Info highlighted:

The versatile playmaker caught the eye of basketball great Magic Johnson in the process:

ESPN's Skip Bayless looked ahead to how Simmons projects to the next level:

Even though Simmons finished with solid numbers, it was Quarterman who carried the Tigers throughout much of the game, especially when the star freshman was on the bench with foul trouble in the first half. ESPN Stats & Info put the guard's performance in context:

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports compared Quarterman to a former National Player of the Year winner:

As for the Wildcats, Tuesday ended their 22-game SEC winning streak. Tyler Ulis finished with 23 points and six assists, while Jamal Murray posted 21 points behind some hot shooting in the second half, but it was far from enough. Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress both fouled out, and much-hyped freshman Skal Labissiere only had three points and two rebounds in 16 minutes. 

Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated weighed in on the Wildcats:

Davis also noted it is far too early to enter panic mode:

Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports highlighted one problem the Wildcats must fix before March if they hope to fulfill their lofty preseason expectations and reach the Final Four:

Despite Kentucky's struggles and the convincing win for the home team, there was reason for worry from LSU in the first half when Simmons went to the bench with two fouls. However, his teammates actually built a 37-27 lead by intermission, even though the main attraction had a measly two points at the half.

ESPN's Jeff Goodman commented on the opening 20 minutes:

The Tigers controlled the tempo early in the second half and brought the crowd to its feet when Quarterman found Simmons with an alley-oop lob from near half court. ESPN provided video of the highlight: 

The Wildcats trimmed the deficit to 58-54 with less than 10 minutes left, largely because Murray consistently found the basket after halftime. However, Quarterman found the range from three-point land, and Victor provided critical late baskets down low. That, plus Kentucky's foul trouble, proved to be the Wildcats' undoing.

Even Jalyn Patterson had the Kentucky defense looking downright helpless in the closing minutes, as ESPN College Basketball captured:

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He went full Mini Cooper in the Italian Job. https://t.co/bKoTEhtMH3

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) January 6, 2016"

Kentucky may be the team with national championship aspirations, but it was LSU that controlled Tuesday's contest from the opening tip. The fact it was able to do so without a monster performance from Simmons is encouraging moving forward as the Tigers look to build an NCAA tournament-worthy resume before Selection Sunday.

What’s Next?

Kentucky still has the talent to challenge for a No. 1 seed come March, especially since it already has victories over Duke and Louisville on its resume. However, it needs to find a way to build some momentum after losing to the Tigers, UCLA and Ohio State in recent weeks.

Fortunately for the Wildcats, they don’t play another team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 until a Jan. 30 showdown with Kansas. That means John Calipari’s squad will have opportunities to add victories against Alabama, Mississippi State, Auburn, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Missouri before the Jayhawks clash.

As for the Tigers, the NCAA tournament is the ultimate goal. They will benefit from the same mediocre SEC that is a far cry from its football dominance on the hardwood. In fact, LSU does not play Kentucky again until the regular-season finale March 5. 

Still, Simmons and company face Oklahoma Jan. 30 in a nonconference game and has to play dangerous opponents in Texas A&M (twice) and South Carolina before the rematch with the Wildcats. Victories in a handful of those games could have Simmons wowing the nation during March Madness even after LSU's slow 4-4 start.

Postgame Reaction

Given the discussion after the loss, it didn’t seem as though Kentucky was ready to play against a fired-up LSU team Tuesday night.

Ulis told reporters, “Guys came out and didn't really want to play, didn't play that hard. Basically, it seems like no one played to win.”

Calipari echoed that sentiment, although he praised the LSU crowd in the process: “What a great environment. We weren't up for the challenge. We weren't ready to compete at the level they competed at, especially our inside people. We didn't get very much from anybody in there except a lot of fouls."

Kentucky Basketball passed along a Calipari quote discussing his team’s depth issues, which were particularly poignant with the foul trouble during Tuesday’s contest:

Murray simply said, “It was frustrating knowing that we are so much better,” per Kentucky Basketball.

The other locker room decided to look at the victory from a big-picture perspective, considering LSU has won five of its last six games after the slow start.

Quarterman told reporters, “All of the losses we took earlier this season helped us as a team and humbled us. Everyone is making sacrifices for the wins. We have a lot of scorers on our team, but it's all about making the right play.”

Simmons added, “We have come together as a team. Everyone got sick of what was happening, and we laid it all out. We put our goals down, and everyone has really stepped up and contributed.”

LSU playing as a team alongside arguably the top player in college basketball is a dangerous thought for the rest of the SEC.