Tech led by as many as seven in the first half but went into the break trailing 37-33. Damarion Dennis and Donovan Atwell scored 11 points each, and Cruz Davis added 10 points with seven assists. Bassala Bagayoko also scored 10, while Josiah Moseley grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.
The outside shots never fell. Tech hit 8 of 30 from 3-point range, and Atwell made three of those. Kentucky put five players in double figures, led by 15 apiece from Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno, and the Wildcats hit seven 3-pointers.
For Texas Tech fans, this was the first look at a new group against a ranked opponent in a loud road building. McCasland said the biggest emphasis moving forward is "how connected can we be when things go bad." He added, "That says a lot about a team, and that's how you become a champion." Darrion Williams finished with nine points, three steals and three assists, and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn had seven points.
The ball moved. Tech had 18 assists on 26 made shots and pulled down 33 rebounds. Kentucky made 19 of 22 free throws, while Tech attempted just six.