Before the Kentucky Wildcats caught a flight out of Athens, Georgia, Mark Pope met with reporters in Stegeman Coliseum for a press conference following the Wildcats’ loss to UGA. Pope spoke for nearly eight minutes about several of the things that went wrong against the Dawgs,

Mark Pope’s UK team fell behind by 13 points at halftime and eventually lost by that same margin, 82-69, to Georgia in the Wildcats’ first SEC road game of the season.

Fouls weren’t the only reason No. 8 Kentucky lost to No. 4 Alabama on Saturday, but the free-throw discrepancy was hard to ignore. The Crimson Tide were 29-34 from the charity stripe to Kentucky’s 16-20 mark.

(The Wildcats also dropped three straight meetings in Athens from 1987 through ... and Kentucky associate coach Mark Fox — Pope’s coaching career started as Georgia’s director of basketball ...

Kentucky’s distance shooting woes returned in Athens. One game after the Cats lit up Rupp Arena with a 14-for-29 3-point shooting clinic against Florida, one of the best 3-point defenses in the country, Kentucky went just 6-for-25 from distance against Georgia, which also boasts a 3-point defense that ranks in the top 20 nationally.

There was no second-half comeback for Kentucky basketball. Georgia was too tough to tame Tuesday, handing UK an 82-69 loss at Stegeman Coliseum.

ATHENS, Ga. — When Georgia forward Asa Newell’s 3 rattled ... last month against Gonzaga. Mark Pope’s squad rallied to win that game, escaping with a 90-89 overtime win.

In past seasons, a lethargic first half may have spelled doom for Kentucky basketball, but it didn't rattle Mark Pope's Wildcats vs Texas A&M.

You could describe SEC basketball in a lot of ways this season. Gauntlet, roller coaster, torture chamber, bloodbath. I know you’re tired of hearing the phrase “historically strong” because I’m tired of typing it.

The Bulldogs entered just 19-44 all-time against Kentucky in Athens ... First-year Kentucky coach Mark Pope was denied his 200 th career win. Former Georgia coach Mark Fox returned to Stegeman ...

Kentucky took a firm punch to the mouth in Athens, falling 82-69 at Georgia while losing the rebounding battle once again, this time a 41-34 loss on the glass while giving up 13 offensive boards. The Wildcats lost that same battle 38-30 vs.

But for UGA to extend its home win streak to 14 —13 stands as 10th-longest in the nation, second among SEC teams (Kentucky, 15) — Georgia will need to play its best basketball after the game tips at 1 p.m. (SEC Network) in Stegeman Coliseum.