LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Kentucky did more _ much more _ than defeat Tennessee on Saturday night. UK derailed the Big Orange Express, destroyed the tracks and sent the Volunteers to the darkest depths of Rocky Bottom.
UK won, 86-69, to bring No. 1 Tennessee's school-record 19-game winning streak to a crashing halt.
Led by PJ Washington, No. 5 Kentucky used its superior size to control the basket area. A 14-0 run to open the second half turned Rupp Arena into one Big Blue party.
Tennessee saved face with a 13-0 run later in the second half. But by then, Tennessee's eight-game winning streak in "true" road games seemed over. The Volunteers got no closer than 77-66 late in the game.
In short, the game breathed life in a sign held up at the ESPN College GameDay Show staged earlier in the day in Memorial Coliseum. It read, "Volun-tears."
Washington led Kentucky with 23 points, his fourth straight 20-plus performance (and seventh in the last eight).
Keldon Johnson added 19, while Tyler Herro chipped in 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
Kentucky improved to 21-4 overall and 10-2 in the Southeastern Conference.
Tennessee lost for only the second time in 25 games. The Vols fell to 11-1 in the SEC.
Tennessee made 40.7 percent of its shots. The Vols had previously shot with 50 percent or better accuracy in 16 games.
Kentucky took the lead for good 89 seconds into the game. The Cats' 37-31 halftime lead marked only the second time Tennessee had been behind going into the second half.
Kentucky came close to another such achievement. Tennessee had trailed by a double-digit margin only once this season: by 12 against West Virginia on Jan. 26. Tennessee won that game 83-66.
Three times UK led by eight points in the first half. On two of those occasions, the Cats got a shot off to make it a double-digit margin.
Washington and Johnson led Kentucky's offense in the first half. Each scored 13 points.
Washington scored UK's first seven. His post-up and then drive for scores signaled Kentucky's desire to use its superior height to great advantage.
Tennessee tried two different defenders on Washington: Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield. Neither kept him contained.
Johnson scored all 13 of his points in a flurry that lasted five minutes and three seconds. During that time, he equaled his season high of three 3-pointers in a span of one minute and 47 seconds.
Tennessee made only nine of its first 22 shots. The Vols found the range late, making five of their final eight shots.
Incidentally, Tennessee's lone halftime deficit came at Florida on Jan. 12. The Vols trailed 38-35 en route to a 78-67 victory.
Kentucky got its lead to double digits 53 seconds into the second half. Herro hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the Cats ahead 42-31. Tennessee called timeout with 19:07 left.
That was part of a 14-0 run to start the second half that put Kentucky ahead 51-31 with 16:33 left. Johnson's basket gave UK a 20-point lead and prompted the second of two Tennessee timeouts surely intended to quell Kentucky's momentum.
After both timeouts, Tennessee went to Williams. On the first, he fumbled away a contested feed into the low post. On the second, he cut and took a pass. This time the referees judged that Washington fouled Williams. His free throws with 16:07 left marked Tennessee's first points of the second half.
Kentucky's lead twice reached a zenith of 24 points.
Then unexpectedly, Tennessee scored 13 straight points to reduce its deficit to 62-51 with 8:49 left.
Less than a minute earlier, UK called time. But Tennessee switched to a zone, which stalled Kentucky's counter.
Washington _ who else? _ transferred the growing murmurs of concern into happiness with a post-up basket and two free throws on UK's next two possessions.
