Tennessee’s game at Kentucky tomorrow night is going to be an uphill battle to say the least. The Cats are 23-1 on the season and ranked No 2. nationally (ESPN/USA Today). According to vegasinsider.com, the Vols are an 8.5 point underdog.
But as any sports fan knows, anything can happen.
One of my favorite basketball memories of the Wade Houston era (and there weren’t many) is the 1993 game against Kentucky at Thompson-Boling Arena. As I recall, the Vols were huge underdogs against a group of Wildcats also ranked second in the nation at that time.
Here is how it went down.
Kentucky’s Jamal Mashburn hit two free throws with 9.9 seconds to play and Kentucky led 77-74.
Next, Allan Houston was fouled at the other end of the floor and stepped to the line with just 4.9 seconds remaining. With Tennessee trailing by four points and not enough time to foul and hope for another possession, Houston sank the first free-toss and intentionally missed the second. As the miss rimmed out, a Volunteer player (Stanley Caldwell maybe?) soared down the lane and tipped the rebound toward the basket. His shot bounced out but it kept the ball alive, allowing Corey Allen to snag the rebound over a Kentucky defender and put up a spinning shot from the baseline. The basket was good and Allen was fouled by Mashburn on the play.
Allen drained the free throw to complete the four-point play and cement the 78-77 upset in front of 22,457 screaming fans in Knoxville.
After the game Houston talked to the Associated Press about his intentional miss.
“I tried to shoot hard and a little off center,” said Houston.
“Someone said after the game that was the best miss I’ve ever had.”
It was a two-man show that led Tennessee to victory that night. Allan Houston led the Vols with 27 points while Corey Allen chipped in 24 points and 11 boards. The duo accounted for 51 (65%) of the team’s 78 total points.
The loss likely cost Kentucky the No. 1 spot in the following week’s poll. Top-ranked Indiana was defeated by Ohio State just one night earlier.