Otega Oweh scored 12 points, but No. 12 Kentucky lost to 17th-ranked Michigan State 83-66 on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Cats had three other players in double figures in the game. Denzel Aberdeen, Collin Chandler and Mo Dioubate each had 10 points for UK
Michigan State was hot from behind the arc all night, hitting 11 of 22 from three-point range, compared to just 7 of 30 (23.3 percent) for Kentucky.
Kentucky scored the first five points of the game, all by Chandler, to take an early lead. MSU would score the next six before two Aberdeen free throws gave the Cats a 7-6 advantage. The Spartans hit a three on their next possession but Oweh answered with a three of his own to make it 10-9 UK.
Michigan State would hit its fourth three in the early going to lead 12-10, but Kentucky got a three from Aberdeen and a layup from Chandler to lead 15-12. After MSU got within one, Dioubate scored on a fast break dunk to give the Cats a 17-14 advantage. However, the Spartans scored the next nine points to lead 23-17.
An Oweh bucket ended a 4:43 scoreless string for the Cats and got UK within six. However, MSU responded with another 9-0 run to take a 32-19 lead. After two Aberdeen free throws, MSU went on a 6-1 run to lead 38-22. Kentucky would get a three from Kam Williams but Michigan State scored on the next possession to lead by 15.
UK got two more free throws from Aberdeen but MSU scored the final four points of the half and led 44-27 at the break.
Oweh got the second half scoring started, but Michigan State went on a 6-2 run to lead 50-31. Dioubate would score six in a row to cut the deficit to 13 but MSU hit consecutive threes to lead 56-37.
A Malachi Moreno layup and two Oweh free throws got the Cats within 15. After the Spartans scored, Jasper Johnson converted a three-point play to get the Cats within 58-44. Two Moreno free throws got UK within 12 and a Kam Williams dunk made it 58-48 with 10:55 to play.
After an MSU bucket, Johnson scored in the lane and it was 60-50. A 7-2 run gave the Spartans a 67-52 lead. An Oweh three got the Cats within 12 but MSU scored the next eight to essentially put the game away.
Kentucky returns to action on Friday, hosting Loyola (Md.) at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on SEC Network Plus.
