A win or a loss against Mississippi State doesnt necessarily make or break Kentuckys season, but there was plenty at stake inside Rupp Arena on Saturday night.The Wildcats entered the night as favorites in what looked like a win nable matchup, but they were up against a Bulldogs team that opened SEC play 2-0 and featured the conferences leading scorer. Meanwhile, Kentucky began league play 02, marking just the third time in the last 25 years the Wildcats have started conference action with that record.Rupp Arena had no shortage of star power, either. Kentucky football head coach Will Stein was in attendance following Oregons College Football Playoff run, while Pat Riley and Rupps Runts returned home for an Elite Team reunion of the 1965-66 Kentucky Wildcats.So while this wasnt a season-defining game, for the sanity of Big Blue Nation and the direction of the program, it was about as close to a must-win as it gets.Kentucky basketball secured its first SEC win of the season with a statement 9268 victory over Mississippi State.Mississippi States offense came out firing, and Kentuckys defense had no answer through the opening 10 minutes. As expected, Josh Hubbard set the tone early, finishing the first half with 13 points to lead all scorers.Kentucky suffered an early setback when Jaland Lowe appeared to re-injure his shoulder while going for a steal in the first five minutes. He immediately headed to the locker room and did not return.The Wildcats began to find their rhythm midway through the first half. While defensive struggles continued, Kentuckys offense picked up significantly. Kam Williams and Jasper Johnson made an immediate impact, playing with confidence and aggression.With 7:58 remaining in the half, Kentucky finally seized momentum, ripping off a 120 run and taking its first lead of the night on a Jasper Johnson three-pointer.After trailing by as many as 12 with 14:30 left in the half, the Wildcats battled back behind the efforts of Malachi Moreno, Otega Oweh, and Williams.At the break, Mississippi State shot 57 percent from the field, while Kentucky finished at 51 percent. Despite the hot shooting from the Bulldogs, the Wildcats took a 4439 lead into halftime. Moreno led Kentucky with 10 points and five rebounds, while Oweh and Williams chipped in nine points apiece.The second half looked much more like the cohesive Wildcats Big Blue Nation knows and expects.Kentucky began to separate with strong ball movement and defensive pressure. In one sequence that embodied the Wildcats identity, Otega Oweh came away with a steal, pushed the break, and found Colin Chandler, who delivered a pass to Brandon Garrison for an easy layup. The play capped a strong stretch that put Kentucky up 6758 with 10:24 remaining.Oweh continued to take over, scoring on back-to-back possessions with a powerful dunk followed by a three-pointer, giving Kentucky its largest lead of the night at 7462.With just over five minutes left, the Wildcats put the game out of reach, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field during an 80 run over a 1:51 span. Kentuckys lead ballooned to 20 as Rupp Arena erupted.Despite playing without Jayden Quaintance and losing Jaland Lowe early, Kentucky finally found the rhythm it had been searching for, closing out a statement 92-68 win over Mississippi State.Four Wildcats finished in double figures, led by Otega Owehs game-high 22 points. Malachi Moreno added 17, while Aberdeen chipped in 16 and Kam Williams finished with 14. Kentucky shot 55 percent from the field and delivered a strong defensive effort, holding SEC leading scorer, Josh Hubbard, to his lowest output of the last two conference games. The Wildcats also won the battle on the boards, out-rebounding Mississippi State 3628.Kentucky now hits the road to continue SEC play, traveling to LSU on Wednesday, January 14, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. For more on Kentucky Basketball and all of the Wildcats, join us onBBN Tonight, airing weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on the official station for UK Athletics, LEX 18. ...read more read less