AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn ended an 18-game losing streak against Kentucky on Saturday by shocking the No. 14 Wildcats 75-70 before a sold-out crowd.
The Tigers (8-8, 2-3 in the SEC), also snapped a three-game conference losing streak. Kentucky fell to 12-4 and 3-2.
"Great effort by our team," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "Great effort by our program. We weren't intimidated by the moment."
Auburn mounted a furious comeback after trailing 47-35 with 15:41 to play. The Tigers went on a 21-4 run to take a 56-51 lead. Junior guard Kareem Canty led the surge with eight points.
The Wildcats rallied to regain the lead, but the Tigers outscored Kentucky 10-3 in the final minutes.
"It's disappointing," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "Where's the fight? ... We have a 12-point lead and we have to make winning plays; we don't.
"We're having some guys no-show us, so I'm asking my freshmen to play like 23-year-old seniors. But they're going to have to grow up fast if we're going to take this thing where we want to go."
Canty paced Auburn with 26 points, with 15 coming on 3-pointers. He scored 21 points in the second half.
Graduate transfer Tyler Harris added 21 points for the Tigers, who made 12-of-26 from 3-point range, but were only 9-of-29 on two-point shots.
Kentucky was led by freshman guard Jamal Murray with 20 points, while sophomore guard Tyler Ulis added 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Junior forward Derek Willis had a career day for the Wildcats, coming off the bench for his first double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
Kentucky shot only 34.7 percent from the field (25-of-72), including 6-of-18 from 3-point range.
"It's Jan. 16; I'm not worried about it," Calipari said. "But I'm going to make some changes and see how guys respond. If you don't deserve the minutes, let someone else play."
Kentucky stays on the road for a Thursday game at Arkansas. Auburn hosts in-state rival Alabama on Tuesday.
Kentucky built a 35-30 halftime advantage, surviving a flurry of activity in the closing minutes.
Isaiah Briscoe of Kentucky committed a foul with 1:23 left in the first half, sending Canty to the line for two free throws. But before he could attempt one, Kentucky forward Skal Labissiere received a technical while jockeying with Auburn's Cinmeon Bowers for rebounding position.
But Auburn didn't take advantage. Horace Spencer made both free throws from the technicals to tie the score 30-30, but Canty missed both free throws and Bowers missed a layup on the next possession.
Kentucky went up 32-30 on a dunk by Labissiere and grabbed the 35-30 halftime lead on a 3-pointer by Willis.
The closing basket was fitting, as Kentucky got a huge life from Willis. The 6-foot-9 forward came off the bench for eight rebounds, seven points, one blocked shot and one steal in the first half.
Murray had 10 points as the Wildcats shot only 37.8 percent from the floor.
Harris topped Auburn with seven points as the Tigers struggled at 28.1 percent shooting from the field. The Tigers stayed close on the strength of six first-half 3-pointers.
NOTES: Kentucky has a 91-68 all-time record against Auburn, including an 8-1 mark by coach John Calipari. ... Kentucky is balanced this season, ranking seventh in the SEC in scoring (77.8 points per game) and scoring defense (67.3). ... Rebounding is the key for Kentucky, which has a plus-10.3 advantage in wins and a minus-5.7 margin in losses. ... Auburn held one offensive statistical advantage over Kentucky, shooting 34.7 percent from 3-point range compared with the Wildcats' 32.5.
