Kentucky rides Allen eruption in win over Mississippi St.

Jan 2, 2021, 09:13 pm

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- — Freshman Dontaie Allen scored a career-high 23 points with seven 3-pointers and Kentucky ended its six-game skid beating Mississippi State 78-73 in double overtime Saturday night.

Allen finished 7-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc and 8-for-14 overall.

Olivier Sarr's 3 to start the second overtime gave the Wildcats the lead for good.

Iverson Molinar missed a contested 3 at the buzzer to send it to a second overtime. The Wildcats missed three shots on their final possession to force the first extra session.

Kentucky coach John Calipari was ejected after being issued consecutive technical fouls with 9:04 left in regulation and the Wildcats down 52-46 following Molinar's jump shot. Allen sank 5 of his 3s following Calipari's ejection.

Allen entered the contest having scored just a pair of baskets in 20 minutes of action prior to Saturday.

It was Kentucky's (2-6, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) first win since its season opener the day before Thanksgiving.

D.J. Stewart Jr. led the Bulldogs (6-4, 1-1) with 19 points.

FOR THE RECORD

Kentucky is now 10-2 in SEC openers under Calipari and 9-3 under Calipari in the first SEC road game of the year. The Wildcats now are 68-19 all-time in SEC openers.

Kentucky is 15-0 vs. the Bulldogs under Calipari, and Calipari is 16-0 in his career vs. Mississippi State.

UP NEXT

Kentucky: Faces Vanderbilt in Lexington on Tuesday.

Mississippi St: Hosts No. 12-ranked Missouri on Tuesday.

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