BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- Ohio State, despite having already lost this season to Texas Arlington and Louisiana Tech, stunned No. 4 Kentucky 74-67 on Saturday during the CBS Sports Classic at Barclays Center.
"Being the underdog, we had nothing to lose," junior forward Marc Loving said. "We had a chip on our shoulder from the beginning."
The Buckeyes (6-5) built a 16-point lead, 47-31, and then held off a furious Kentucky rally late in the game.
The Wildcats, who had never trailed by that many points all season, cut the margin to 63-60 with just under three minutes to go. But that's when sophomore guard Tyler Ulis was whistled for an intentional foul after a mad scramble for a loose ball near midcourt. Two made free throws and a basket pushed Ohio State comfortably back on top for good.
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"Afterwards with the guys, I went through seven to nine plays that you just can't make," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "When it became winning time, you miss the front of a one-and-one, barely nick the rim. There are two rebounds we can get that we don't get. There's a loose ball at midcourt, just pick it up. Don't try to advance it. That kind of stuff adds up, especially when it's a one-bucket game."
Ohio State placed four players in double figures, led by sophomore forward Keita Bates-Diop, who had 14 points to go with seven rebounds. Loving added 12 points, freshman guard JaQuan Lyle had 11 and sophomore center Trevor Thompson had 10.
"It's a big, big win for us," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "The defense was definitely the key for us. These guys did a tremendous job of understanding in a short period of time of what we were going to attempt to do."
Kentucky (9-2) lost despite an incredible second-half performance by Jamal Murray. The freshman guard scored 27 of his career-high 33 points after intermission to spearhead UK's valiant comeback bid. He scored 17 points during the first 12 minutes of the second half.
"He's the one guy that we feared going in, in terms of him having the capability of getting hot," Matta said. "Now, we had no idea he was going to get that hot. But that's what great players do. He kind of put them on his back and got them back in the game."
After Murray, Kentucky got 12 points and nine rebounds from junior forward Marcus Lee. Ulis added 11 points.
"I wish we were further along, but it's only going to be through experience," Calipari said. "We're still trying to figure out how we need to play. But I do know this: We're not as good as we were a year ago. That's pretty obvious."
The first half was all Ohio State. At one point, the Buckeyes made eight baskets in a row as they built the lead to 14 points. The margin was 12 at intermission, 37-25.
The Wildcats were dismal in the first half, shooting only 31 percent, including 17 percent from 3-point range, to go with seven turnovers. Lee came off the bench to lead UK in the first half with eight points. Ulis scored UK's first seven points but was shut out the rest of the half.
Ohio State, meanwhile, shot 43 percent overall, but 58 percent from beyond the arc during the first 20 minutes. Lyle and Bates-Diop each scored eight points for the Buckeyes.
Kentucky returns to action Dec. 26 to face rival Louisville at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
"We're not a team that's going to beat people by 25. This isn't a year ago," Calipari said. "People smell blood; they'll come after this. That's just how it is."
NOTES: If Kentucky wins its next game on Saturday against rival Louisville, it will be John Calipari's 200th win as Kentucky coach. He will reach the mark in his 240th game at Kentucky, meaning he reached the milestone nine games faster than former coach Rick Pitino and 10 games quicker than legendary coach Adolph Rupp. ... Kentucky welcomed a new player at the semester break, freshman Tai Wynyard, a 6-9, 260-pound import from New Zealand. He graduated from his hometown school in Auckland this month and arrived in Lexington on Thursday. Wynyard did not play Saturday and Calipari said he is unsure whether he might redshirt.
