Tempers flared during the Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh’s return to Norman. The junior star in Lexington was the late hero as the visiting team played spoilers handing the Oklahoma Sooners a deflating 83-82 loss. After the buzzer went off, Oweh issued an honest admission.
Kentucky mustered a close, yet pivotal win, as they passed the .500 mark in a complex SEC schedule. The Wildcats have an overall NCAA record of 19-9, yet their intra-conference fixture hasn’t been a walk in the park, whatsoever.
With an 8-7 SEC record and ranked number 17 in the nation, the Wildcats walked into Norman to face the Sooners, a team that has struggled all season but aimed to build on their recent ranked win over Mississippi State.
Oweh’s return to his former campus was one of the biggest storylines ahead of tip-off, and the Kentucky transfer guard made sure college basketball fans and students in Norman got their money’s worth.
Otega Oweh #00 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots the ball during the 75-64 win against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena on February 11, 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky.
“Playing at this school before, and then having some teammates on the court too, so there was just a lot of emotion to it,” Otega Oweh stated postgame, per On3. “At the end of the day, you kind of have to take that emotion out of it and try and get the win. So that’s what I was really focusing on.“
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Business is business
Oweh did just that, dismantling the Sooners all night long with an incredible performance at Lloyd Noble Center. The Wildcats’ guard scored 28 points and, most importantly, drained the game-winning bucket with six seconds left on the clock.
“I feel like in the first half, I was kind of letting the game come to me and just letting everything play out,” Oweh continued. “But I wanted to be aggressive in the second half and just try to leave my imprint on both defense and offense.”
Postgame drama
The nail-biting ending had fans on the edge of their seats, if not standing, and the tension reached its pinnacle as a brawl broke out between the players after the final buzzer.
Otega Oweh #00 of the Kentucky Wildcats puts up a first half shot over Jarin Stevenson #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Coleman Coliseum on February 22, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
It appeared Oweh may have sparked the brawl after saying something to Oklahoma freshman Jeremiah Fears during the handshake line. The ritual salute was cut short, and both teams ultimately headed to their locker rooms.
After back-to-back road games, Kentucky returns home for their highly anticipated marquee matchup against No. 1 Auburn at Rupp Arena on March 1st.
