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

The unranked Tennessee Volunteers shocked No. 20 Kentucky, 84-77, on Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena to hand the Wildcats a crushing defeat just three days removed from an overtime loss at the hands of No. 7 Kansas.    

The win was just Tennessee's fourth in conference play this season, and it vaulted the Vols to an even 11-11 on the season following a run that included six losses in the span of nine games dating back to Jan. 2.

According to ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman, Kentucky has now lost five games to unranked teams (UCLA, Ohio State, LSU and Auburn in addition to the Vols) and ranks third in the SEC behind Texas A&M and LSU. 

Yahoo Sports' Brad Evans provided a look ahead to where Kentucky may rank on Selection Sunday following the loss:

Kentucky led by as many as 21 points in the first half, but Tennessee improbably exploded with the odds tilting heavily in the Wildcats' favor, per ESPN Stats & Info:

The Vols went on a 23-8 run to close the opening frame, and the scoring triumvirate of Kevin Punter (27 points), Armani Moore (18 points, 13 rebounds, four assists) and Admiral Schofield (11 points, eight rebounds) helped facilitate the huge comeback against a Kentucky team that boasted four double-figure scorers, including Jamal Murray (21 points) and Tyler Ulis (20 points, 12-of-14 shooting from the free-throw line).

Tennessee used its momentum to chip away at the deficit, and the Vols finally took the lead midway through the second half as Kentucky battled foul trouble. 

Alex Poythress and Isaiah Briscoe hit the bench for stretches with four fouls apiece, but even when they re-entered, they weren't able to operate to the best of their abilities. Briscoe had to shy away from contact defending dribble drives, and Poythress' foul trouble made him a less imposing presence in rim protection before he fouled out with just under four minutes remaining. 

And if you're looking for reasons why Tennessee was able to escape with the victory despite shooting a pedestrian 41.1 percent from the field, look no further than its free-throw shooting and three-point efficiency.

The Vols opened a perfect 21-of-21 from the line before recording a miss, and they went on to finish 30-of-34 at the charity stripe while draining 42.1 percent of their triples. Kentucky, meanwhile, shot 41.9 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three, but those numbers somehow paint a prettier picture than the one that enveloped the Wildcats late in the second half. 

Kentucky's offense settled for contested shots time and again down the stretch, and a lack of fluidity in its sets and some indecisiveness on catch-and-shoot jumpers capped its scoring potential.

USA Today's Dan Wolken provided a concise overview of Kentucky's stagnant tendencies:  

The Wildcats were also doomed by 11 turnovers, including two on back-to-back possessions that allowed the Vols to take a six-point lead with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. 

For a Kentucky team that appeared to be finding its rhythm following three straight SEC wins and a strong showing in an overtime loss to Kansas, Tuesday's showing represented a setback.

Tennessee entered the clash with just three wins in conference play, and a 21-point lead should have been all the Wildcats needed to stave off a back-of-the-pack Vols side. 

But give Tennessee credit: Head coach Rick Barnes' side consistently attacked the teeth of Kentucky's defense, and it didn't succumb to the pressure after falling behind in a big way. 

Following a 12-point loss to unranked TCU on the heels of a defeat at the hands of Alabama, the Vols could have packed it in. However, a resilient showing spoke volumes about the culture Barnes is trying to foster in Knoxville and bodes well for Tennessee as it seeks to try to close the season on a high note. 

Kentucky will attempt to exact revenge against the Vols when the two sides meet again on Feb. 18 in Lexington at Rupp Arena. 

Postgame Reaction

"I just think our guys really deserve all the credit in the world," Barnes said, per Tennessee Basketball's official Twitter account. 

Barnes also joked about the Vols' strategy moving forward after they erased the huge deficit, per 247Sports.com's Wes Rucker: 

"You got to give Rick credit: He had them ready," Kentucky head coach John Calipari said, per the Courier-Journal's Jon Hale. "They fought like heck. How about getting down 21 and not stopping? It shows what a good coach he is. I’m just disappointed."

"They end up beating us by 30 in about 25 minutes, and it could have been 50," Calipari added, according to Hale. "So, we got a ways to go. I was worried about this game coming off the Kansas game."

"For us to come back and win, obviously it was a terrific win for us," Barnes added, per the program's official Twitter account.