KEION BROOKS

Kennedy Chandler scored 19 points, Zakai Zeigler added 11 and No. 9 Tennessee held off fifth-ranked Kentucky 69-62 in the final minutes to reach the Southeastern Conference Tournament final for the third time in the last five years.

Kellan Grady scored eight points in overtime, including consecutive 3-pointers about a minute apart, and Sahvir Wheeler added two free throws to lift No. 12 Kentucky over Mississippi State 82-74 on Tuesday night.

Freshman and hometown star Blake Wesley hit a go-ahead, pull-up jumper in the lane with 11.7 seconds left and Notre Dame beat No. 10 Kentucky 66-62.

John Calipari is awaiting a pivotal ruling on the eligibility of transfers before he will know who’ll be around to help the Wildcats bounce back from the coach's first losing season in Lexington.

But things began spiraling downward for the Wildcats long before Thursday's disappointing 74-73 setback against Mississippi State that sealed their fate: No NCAA Tournament this year. AdDigesting the reality and enduring a losing season at college basketball's winningest program will make for a long offseason for the Wildcats. “But at the end of the day, you've gotta win games and you've gotta be tough and you've got to play winning basketball. The Wildcats rebounded to win their first three SEC games, only to seesaw between a four-game skid and three-game winning streak. One of the main issues for the Wildcats was putting up points, as Kentucky ranked 200th in Division I in scoring.

North Carolina won 75-63. Armando Bacot scored 11 of his team-high 14 points in the second half Saturday, rallying No. 22 North Carolina from a double-digit deficit to beat Kentucky 75-63 at the CBS Sports Classic. ... North Carolina has completed its nonleague schedule and will play its next 20 games in the Atlantic Coast Conference. UP NEXTNorth Carolina: Plays at North Carolina State in its ACC opener Dec. 22.

Moses Wright scored 21 points and Georgia Tech recovered from a poor start to the season to beat No. Georgia Tech (1-2) rebounded with a strong performance following losses to state rivals Georgia State and Mercer. BIG PICTUREEven by Kentucky standards, this is a major rebuilding job and the Wildcats' youth showed against Georgia Tech. It was a key recovery for coach Josh Pastner's Georgia Tech team. Georgia Tech: At Nebraska on Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.