Kentucky couldn't figure out how to beat Arkansas Tuesday. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Arkansas senior guard Jalen Tate had about 25 friends and family members in Lexington Tuesday when he hit the two game-winning free throws in an 81-80 victory over Kentucky. He’s from Pickerington, Ohio, and is a graduate transfer from Northern Kentucky University who knew plenty about UK basketball.
“Everybody that came tonight man I let them know like, physically when I got to see them after the game … they know how much it means to me. You know being 12 hours from home (in Arkansas) and the people that got to make this drive,” he said. “My old school is only an hour away from here, home is actually three hours.
“Everybody’s been looking forward to this since I committed to Arkansas. Everyone’s been trying to get tickets to this game and it’s just a blessing I was allowed to get everybody tickets that wanted to come.”
He said he was no “hero dog” despite scoring Arkansas’s final two points but he would not deny what the win meant to him.
“I went to Northern Kentucky right down the road. I had to sit out and watch them freshman year, broken hand, had to sit out and watch Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, and Malik Monk and watch my guys try to take on those guys in the NCAA Tournament,” Tate said.
“So just having the opportunity to actually be out there and play, help my teammates and just be able to see things on the court man, be able to implement them you know, just help my team and be able to do anything to win the game.”
