by STARKVILLE, Miss. – De’Aaron Fox scored 21 points, Malik Monk added 14 and No. 5 Kentucky beat Mississippi State 88-81 on Tuesday night.
Kentucky (16-2, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) looked like it would cruise to the win after building a 66-49 lead midway through the second half, but Mississippi State responded with 13 straight points to make things interesting down the stretch.
In the end, the Wildcats were too potent offensively. Fox, a 6-foot-3 freshman, had two impressive drives for baskets in the final minutes to thwart a final Mississippi State rally.
Mississippi State (12-5, 3-2) was led by freshman Lamar Peters, who scored a career-high 25 points.
It was an emotional game that featured four technical fouls — two on each team.
Kentucky’s Derek Willis (Arapaho/Pawnee/Creek) scored all 13 of his points in the first half, stepping out to make three 3-pointers. Fox added 10 points as Kentucky pushed out to a 46-34 halftime lead.
UP NEXT
Kentucky: The Wildcats return home to face No. 24 South Carolina on Saturday.
