Keldon Johnson, Kentucky Hold Off Late Auburn Rally for Wild Win

No. 12 Kentucky went into Auburn Arena on Saturday and held off a second-half rally by No. 14 Auburn to pull out a statement victory in the form of an 82-80 win.

Keldon Johnson led the way for Kentucky with 20 points, while Reid Travis (17 points and seven rebounds) also contributed to the victory.

Bryce Brown had 28 points for Auburn in a losing effort.

Keldon Johnson's Big-Game Performances Will Serve Kentucky Well Come March

Johnson is a freshman in class only.

Rated as a 5-star recruit coming out of high school by 247Sports, the 6'6", 211-pound guard has proved that he is more than ready for the big moments at the collegiate level.

Johnson's Wildcats career began with a 23-point (on 8-of-16 shooting) showing against then-No. 4 Duke and featured a 21-point (on 7-of-11 shooting) performance in a victory over then-No. 9 North Carolina last month.

In his first true SEC test, he once again came up big for his team.

Johnson led Kentucky to a hard-fought road victory on Saturday by going 7-of-11 from the field, which included him shooting 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. That strong performance featured him dropping 11 first-half points to power his team to an eight-point lead at the break.

That comes on the heels of his worst statistical game as a Wildcat to date, as he went scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting in 27 minutes in a 69-49 victory over Georgia on Tuesday. While some freshman may let those struggles linger, Johnson quickly put that quiet night behind him and came up big against the Tigers.

For a young Kentucky squad, the value of having a go-to player in the big moment cannot be understated. And it's just as important to have players who have a short memory.

Kentucky is hoping to be playing during the final weekend for the first time since 2015. While it remains to be seen if this Wildcats squad has championship potential, Johnson is showing the make of a player who can steal the spotlight in March.

Perimeter Shooting Makes Auburn Dangerous Dark Horse

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Auburn managed just 27 first-half points against Kentucky while shooting 33.3 percent from the floor and 31.3 percent from three-point range. But when they caught fire from deep, the Tigers gave the Wildcats all they could handle.

And their perimeter shooting is what will make them such a dangerous team come tournament time.

Entering Saturday's action, Auburn ranked fifth in the nation with 10.9 triples per game. That total is the most of any Power Five team, with The Citadel, Winthrop, Creighton and Savannah State the only teams more prolific from distance.

The Tigers exploded for 53 second-half points and even managed to grab a late lead over the Wildcats before narrowly falling. They did so by going 8-of-14 from three-point range, a charge led by Brown. After posting just three points in the first half, Brown went off for 25 points in the final 20 minutes while going a perfect 5-of-5 from downtown.

That type of explosiveness is tough for even the best defensive teams to contain.

Auburn has four different players shooting better than 37 percent (minimum 45 attempts) from three-point range this season. That gives the team a number of options in the event one player has an off night.

Living and dying by the three-ball is risky business. But when the threes are falling, they provide a serious momentum boost, as the Tigers proved Saturday.

What's Next

Both teams will be back in action on Tuesday. Kentucky (14-3) will continue its stretch of three consecutive games against ranked opponents when it hosts No. 24 Mississippi State, while Auburn (13-4) will hit the road for a showdown with South Carolina.