KNOXVILLE, TN — Kentucky basketball continues to test its limits. The team often allows the opposing side to take a double-digit lead at halftime. Then, in the final 20 minutes, it seems as if the Wildcats flip a switch, leaving all the first-half mistakes behind.

For the second time in as many games, the Wildcats followed that exact pattern. And for the second time in as many games, they managed to secure a road win, defeating Tennessee 80-78 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

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The law of averages doesn’t support this strategy continuing to result in victories. UK (12-6, 3-2 SEC) is walking a very thin line. For now, it’s managing to balance on that tightrope perfectly.

“There are moments where we’re seeing some sunlight and being like, ‘Wow, we feel like this could be us a little bit,'” said Wildcats coach Mark Pope, who improved to 2-0 in road games against Tennessee and is now 3-1 overall in the series. “I think the gift we have — and I will treasure this with this group — and we really feel it … like, we come in at halftime down (double digits). Well, we’ve done it multiple times now, and we come back and win every single time.

“So it gives you so much confidence as a group, because you can walk in the locker room and nobody’s sideways. They’re just like, ‘Yep, this is what we do, and we’ll come out and win the second half.’ And these guys have proved to do it, man.”

In fact, one could argue that it has been three consecutive outings, not two, where the Wildcats have rallied for an unexpected victory. The first of these three games was one week ago, when Kentucky easily beat Mississippi State. Less than six minutes into the game, though, the Bulldogs led by 12 points. Boos rained down on the Cats from a frustrated Rupp Arena crowd. The difference between that contest and the subsequent road matchups at LSU and UT is that UK immediately righted itself, raising its level of play so much that it actually led MSU at halftime.

That wasn’t the case Wednesday, when the Tigers held a 16-point lead at intermission and extended the advantage to 18 less than a minute into the second half. On Saturday, the Volunteers (12-6, 2-3) jumped to a 17-point lead (41-24) in the waning minutes of the first half. Then the Vols went into the locker room ahead by 11 points, 42-31.

“We actually felt great going into halftime down 11. It’s the first time we’ve only been down 11 in like a month, right?” Pope joked. “So it felt like we had ‘won the first half.'”

Pope conceded it’s a “weird” mindset, sure.

“But it’s the Kentucky way right now,” he said.

Credit senior guard Denzel Aberdeen again. In Wednesday’s win at LSU, he scored all 17 of his points in the second half. On Saturday at Tennessee, 18 of his team-high 22 points occurred after halftime. 

“I thought Aberdeen was terrific in the second half,” Vols coach Rick Barnes said. “It didn’t matter who was guarding him. He got it where he wanted to go.”

And Aberdeen is helping Kentucky, bit by bit, get where it wants to go, too. With each win, the Wildcats are playing their way further and further off the bubble. That they’ve taken on the identity of a squad that never quits — and recently, turned that mentality into on-court victories — delights Pope to no end.

“I hope people aren’t missing it,” he said. “I hope they’re not missing — I hope they’re not missing what this group is going through, what this group is trying to endure, what this group is trying to become, and what this group is actually doing on the court for three straight SEC games now. … Things looking bad, and everybody being discouraged — except for the players in our locker room.

“That’s really special, man. So don’t miss it, because it’s a tribute to these guys.”

Not special enough yet, however, to earn their own moniker. Prodded whether he’d like to trademark the phrase “Cardiac Cats” to give this team a nickname for future generations to fondly remember, Pope said this group has “a lot of work to do” before it’s worthy of such a designation.

What he wasn’t against: Showing up to its next game — 7 p.m. Wednesday in Lexington, versus Texas — and telling his team it’s already down 20-0 before opening tipoff.

“I would much rather have it this way than the other way around, guys. It’s awesome,” he said, “and it’s awesome to watch guys just grind and grind and grind. I love it. I’m so proud of these guys’ fight and just their commitment to keep going.”

His players’ resolve, particularly when the going gets tough, has allowed him to “breathe a little easier” at the beginning of games, Pope admitted.

“Because they’ve given me so much confidence about what they do in the second half,” he said.

“Confidence” being a word Pope kept returning to Saturday. Except it had nothing to do with his own belief. Rather, it was that of his players. Their faith in themselves. Their trust in each other.

“You’ve got to go do the gritty, hard, miserable work of earning confidence,” Pope said. “And you have to take the heat and take the hate. And these guys — all of us — have had a lot of stuff cast on us, for sure. And you’ve got to look it straight in the eye and go earn it. And these guys are starting to earn their confidence.”

Pope’s hope is that it pays dividends going forward. With interest.

“They’re starting to earn the fact that maybe things don’t go perfect on a play or perfect in a four-minute stretch or perfect in a half,” he said. “But they’re starting to earn their confidence through the hard, gritty work that they’re doing, their refusal to give in to fatigue or frustration and just turning to fight. They’re earning the confidence they have, and it’s a good feeling — and we’ve got to go earn it again next week.

“And that’s why this game and these seasons are so great.”

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball rallies at Tennessee, again finds way to win late