Lexington, Ky – January 20, 2023 – Michael Willis
Tonight was a night for celebration. Kentucky gained another conference victory by beating Georgia 105 to 96. At the half the Big Blue Nation showed their appreciation for the 1984 Final Four team, including Kenny Walker, Jim Master, and Sam Bowie. However, the biggest celebration was that Zvonimir Ivisic was finally cleared to play and what a performance he put on for the fans.
Ivisic first checked into the game with 16 minutes left in the first half to a standing ovation of the Rupp Arena crowd. Big Z made his first shot for three points with 8:11 left in the first half. He went on to make his next 3 shots. Ivisic scored his last basket on a dunk, which he received a technical for doing a chin-up on the rim. However, the crowd didn’t mind and were just happy to see him get to play. Big Z ended the night with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. His debut went better than most fans could have imagine.
Georgia kept the game close for the first five minutes of the game, but after that Kentucky led the entirety of the game. The Wildcats’ largest lead was 28 with 7:55 left in the game, but due to turnovers and unfavorable foul calls, Kentucky won the game by only nine.
The 105 to 96 victory was led by Tre Mitchell who scored 23 points in his 28 minutes of play. D.J. Wagner had one of his best performances as a Wildcat scoring 18 points and gaining 10 assists for his first career double-double.
The last 7 minutes of the game was a defensive nightmare for the Cats. The Bulldogs scored 26 points in that time mostly from layups. Despite the terrible defensive play, Kentucky won this game with offense. The Cats scored their 80th point with 12:41 left in the game and could have scored another 50 if not for the fouls and calls going to the opposition.
The next challenge for the Cats is a road game in Columbia when they take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Tuesday night matchup tips at 7pm and can be viewed on the SEC Network.
