IT WAS a thrilling contest in the second round of the SEC Tournament in the NCAAM on Friday afternoon, with the Kentucky Wildcats holding off the Oklahoma Sooners to win by one point in a buzzer-beating finish.

It was an extremely tight start to the game, with neither side able to truly gain ascendancy in the first half as the Wildcats held a two-point win, with Oklahoma doing well to stay in the hunt despite being the underdogs. Just when it looked like Kentucky was going to run away with it, the Sooners dragged themselves back into it, remarkably taking the lead late despite trailing by double-digits, before the Wildcats produced a late basket to retake the lead and win the match.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be casting an eye over how the key players performed in the match, as some of the NCAAM’s best and brightest continue to display their craft on a nightly basis.

Kentucky Wildcats (85) def. Oklahoma Sooners (84)

Oklahoma:

#0 Jeremiah Fears

The standout for the Sooners, Fears was excellent across the entire match and showed his innate ability to hit the scoreboard against the Wildcats. Despite some tough defensive pressure at times, Fears was relentless in his pursuit of victory, always looking to make his mark and hit the scoreboard. With a crafty dribble and impressive shooting mechanic, Fears has the ability to score at all three levels, and put that on display against Kentucky. Some of his shotmaking was seriously impressive, overcoming some seriously tight checking from the opposition. Despite lacking some efficiency from behind the arc, he overcame an off-shooting night to still finish with 28 points, four rebounds and five assists, almost dragging his side to victory.

#1 Kobe Elvis

Boasting one of the most fun names in college, Elvis put on a show against the Wildcats, producing one of the better performances of his senior campaign. Coming off the bench, Elvis had an immediate impact, getting going with some early buckets and setting the tone for the remainder of his performance. It was a balanced scoring performance from Elvis, with the guard showing a deep array of moves and getting to his scoring positions quite frequently. He finished the match with 12 points, three rebounds and four assists.

Kentucky

#00 Otega Oweh

It was another rock solid outing from Oweh, who continued his impressive season with the Wildcats to play a vital role on Friday afternoon. As he has done so many times in the past, Oweh found the bottom of the net with ease, and constantly looked to attack the paint and score in the low block. Although he did not have the best luck shooting the ball, it was Oweh’s ability to draw contact and convert points at the charity stripe that helped him standout, and he is a reliable customer at the free throw line, showing tremendous composure. Oweh proved the game-winner, breaking Oklahoma hearts with a late lay-up to give his team the win. He ended up pouring in 27 points, four rebounds and five assists.

#4 Koby Brea

The senior guard was simply electric for the Wildcats on Friday, posting one of the better offensive performances of his season and leading the way for his team. He showed excellent decision-making when it came to his shot selection, and that was reflected in Brea’s shooting efficiency. He was happy to take whatever the defence gave him, and punished the opposition if they sagged off when face guarding him. His ability to score across all three levels made him a tough defensive assignment, and when he began to knock down shots from range, it was evident Brea was in for a big night. He finished with 22 points in a telling performance.