LSU beat Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Tuesday night thanks to a controversial tip-in at the buzzer.
LSU and Kentucky were tied at 71 after Keldon Johnson made a pair of free throws for the Wildcats. LSU had the ball and Skylar Mays drove all the way to the basket and threw up a floater over a few Kentucky defenders. The ball bounced off the glass and the rim. Kavell Bigby-Williams leaped and tipped the ball in for the winner.
#19 LSU BEATS #5 KENTUCKY 73-71 AT THE BUZZER IN RUPP ARENA pic.twitter.com/WGIGpkzntV
— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) February 13, 2019
There were two questions about the play. Did Bigby-Williams beat the buzzer? The refs reviewed the play and said yes. The other question whether he committed offensive goaltending by touching a ball while it was around the rim. That aspect of the tip-in was not reviewable by the officials, which is why the basket was able to count.
The loss marks Kentucky’s first in conference play this season, making both teams 9-1 in the SEC. The defeat also comes ahead of Kentucky’s big home game on Saturday against Tennessee.
