LEXINGTON, Ky. _ In the game's first 37-plus minutes, Kentucky led for only 45 seconds. But the Cats reached the summit after a long, uphill climb on Senior Night.
Kentucky rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit to beat Vanderbilt, 73-67, Tuesday night and clinch at least a share of the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship.
Kentucky, 25-5 overall and 15-2 in the SEC, did not take the lead for good until De'Aaron Fox drove to a basket that put the Cats ahead 64-62 with 2:13 left.
Vandy, which saw a chance for a statement victory to cement a NCAA Tournament bid slip away, fell to 16-14 overall and 9-8 in the SEC.
A 3-pointer by Malik Monk put Kentucky ahead 69-62 with 47.2 seconds left. That seemed like a comfortable lead, but it wasn't.
Vandy closed within 69-67 on a Luke Kornet 3-pointer with 22.1 seconds left. That required Monk to make four free throws thereafter to seal the victory.
Monk made 8 of 21 shots, and he led UK with 27 points. Bam Adebayo added 16 and Fox 13.
Kornet, whose Lexington ties go back two generations, led Vandy with 21 points.
Although many SEC opponents had played Kentucky competitively, history suggested a UK victory.
Vandy had won only twice at UK since Rupp Arena opened in 1976 (in 2006 and 2007).
Yet, the game was a thriller.
Kentucky never led in the first half and trailed 30-24 at intermission. But it could have been worse.
UK made only three of its first 19 shots en route to a 9-for-29 shooting half. Monk and Fox struggled.
For a second straight game, Monk shot poorly in a first half. He made only 3 of 10 shots. Neither of his two 3-point shots went in.
Fox, who missed the Florida game Saturday because of a bruised knee, did not have an assist and committed four turnovers in the first half.
Vandy controlled the tempo, limiting UK to a single basket on fast-break points.
With all that, Kentucky being behind at halftime seemed inevitable.
Victory seemed problematic.
Until this game, Kentucky had not been a come-from-behind team. The Cats had lost in the previous three games they trailed at halftime: against UCLA, at Tennessee and at Florida.
The Senior Night ceremony did not launch Kentucky to a good start. Vandy scored the game's first seven points. That prompted UK coach John Calipari to replace senior starters Dominique Hawkins and Mychal Mulder at the 17:25 mark.
With UK misfiring, Vandy built a lead that crested at 25-6 with 8:02 left. To that point, Kentucky had made only two of 17 shots.
Mulder broke the spell with a 3-pointer. Then his driving dunk, set up by a ball fake, ignited loud cheers.
Kentucky got as close as 28-24, but no closer in the first half.
Vandy attacked Willis to start the second half. The Commodores' first six points came in the matchup with Willis. That helped Vandy expand its lead to 43-33 at the first TV timeout.
As defeat became more likely, Kentucky turned up the defensive heat. Vandy, a team without a proven point guard, wobbled.
Kentucky methodically whittled away at a Vandy second-half lead that crested at 47-34 with 13:52 left.
With Vandy's offense largely consisting of 3-point shots, Kentucky closed to within 54-52. Vandy called time with 7:30 left to ponder.
Kentucky took its first lead with 4:45 left. Willis hit a 3-pointer _ his first basket of the game _ to put UK ahead 59-57.
The lead lasted 26 seconds before Riley LaChance hit a high-arcing 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down.
Monk answered with his first 3-pointer of the game. It put UK ahead, 62-60, going into the final three-plus minutes.
