No. 8 Kentucky Tops No. 15 Auburn 73-66 to Win SEC Regular-Season Title

The No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats clinched the regular-season SEC championship Saturday with a 73-66 win over the No. 15 Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

Kentucky improved to 24-5 overall and 14-2 in SEC play, while Auburn fell to 24-5 and an 11-5 conference record.

The Wildcats went just 2-of-13 from beyond the arc, but they shot 42.3 percent from the field and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line while also forcing 10 turnovers and only turning the ball over seven times.

Auburn shot 36.1 percent from the floor and 26.5 percent from deep, but it was only 13-of-22 from the charity stripe, which paled in comparison to Kentucky.

Key Player Stats

Immanuel Quickley, G, KEN: 18 PTS, 12 REB

Tyrese Maxey, G, KEN: 17 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST

Nick Richards, F, KEN: 14 PTS, 3 REB

J'Von McCormick, G, AUB: 13 PTS

Austin Wiley, C, AUB: 10 PTS, 12 REB

Isaac Okoro, F, AUB: 9 PTS, 4 REB

Quickley's Free-Throw Excellence Leads Kentucky to SEC Crown

Possible SEC Player of the Year Immanuel Quickley went just 3-of-10 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range, but his crafty play and clutch ability made the difference in Kentucky's win.

Quickley was dominant from the charity stripe, as he has been all season (91.5 percent before Saturday), going 11-of-11 and leading the Wildcats with 18 points.

John Clay of the Lexington Herald-Leader noted how Quickley has been close to perfect from the free-throw line this season:

While Quickley was the standout for the Wildcats, he didn't do it on his own, as freshman guard Tyrese Maxey and junior forward Nick Richards played significant roles as well.

After falling behind early, the Wildcats found their rhythm offensively and went on a 10-0 run to take a 29-23 lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half:

Maxey was the clear star for Kentucky during the first 20 minutes with 12 points, including this fast-break bucket:

Jackson Frank of The Athletic has big expectations for him:

Kentucky entered halftime with a 40-37 lead, and it held a slight advantage throughout most of the second half as both teams struggled to make shots.

As Kyle Tucker of The Athletic pointed out, the Wildcats went over six minutes without making a field goal at one point in the second half, although Auburn couldn't close the gap much:

Brandon Marcello of 247Sports noted how evenly matched the teams appeared to be and how perhaps the one thing separating them was home-court advantage:

Kentucky seemed to use the home crowd's energy to its advantage down the stretch, as it made several big plays in the closing minutes.

The Wildcats were up just 67-64 with 3:26 left, but they went on a 6-2 run the rest of the way, as Maxey made a layup and two free throws, while Richards added two free throws.

The Tigers played Kentucky tough from start to finish, but their struggles from the field prevented them from completing the comeback.

What's Next?

Kentucky will close out its regular season with games against Tennessee on Tuesday and Florida next Saturday.

Auburn will attempt to rebound from Saturday's loss when it faces Texas A&M on Wednesday and Tennessee next Saturday.