Gonzaga Bulldogs upset No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats in a thrilling game at Rupp Arena
Gonzaga's front line was responsible for a 43-31 rebounding disparity, and Anton Watson scored the go-ahead three point play with 3:49 remaining before adding two key layups in the final minutes. Ben Gregg also made crucial free throws down the stretch to help secure Gonzaga's victory.
Kentucky struggled defensively throughout the game, allowing an average of 95.5 points per home contest this season leading up to Saturday's loss.
The Zags led by as many as 20 points before the Wildcats mounted a furious comeback that brought them within four points of victory with just over two minutes remaining on the clock.
On Saturday, the Gonzaga Bulldogs upset No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats in a thrilling game at Rupp Arena. The Zags led by as many as 20 points before the Wildcats mounted a furious comeback that brought them within four points of victory with just over two minutes remaining on the clock.
Gonzaga's front line was responsible for a 43-31 rebounding disparity, and Anton Watson scored the go-ahead three point play with 3:49 remaining before adding two key layups in the final minutes. Ben Gregg also made crucial free throws down the stretch to help secure Gonzaga's victory.
Kentucky struggled defensively throughout the game, allowing an average of 95.5 points per home contest this season leading up to Saturday's loss. The Wildcats have now lost three straight games at Rupp Arena for the first time in history, and their NCAA Tournament hopes are hanging by a thread.
Gonzaga has been on an impressive run of late, winning 166 straight games when leading by 10 or more points at halftime. The Zags have also won four consecutive Quadrant I wins this season, including their victory over Kentucky.
It's possible that Gonzaga may have been too complacent after leading by 20 points, which allowed Kentucky to mount a comeback.
The rebounding disparity between the two teams could be seen as an advantage for Gonzaga, but it's also possible that this was not enough to secure their victory.
Gonzaga outperformed Kentucky in most every phase to lead 42-32 at halftime before the Wildcats stormed back ahead to force a back-and-forth contest.
Kentucky allowed an average of 95.5 points in its past four home games before the Gonzaga loss.
Gonzaga made only four attempts from three-point range in the second half and instead chose to take on UK defenders off the dribble for clean 2-point looks.
Accuracy
Kentucky lost three straight home games for the first time in Rupp Arena history.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it quotes John Calipari saying that the Wildcats lost the game in the first half (1:04), but this statement is not supported by any evidence presented in the article. In fact, Gonzaga led Kentucky 42-32 at halftime and only took a lead of one point after Kentucky's second-half rally. Secondly, it quotes Calipari saying that the Wildcats have now lost three straight games at Rupp Arena for the first time since it opened in 1976, but this statement is also not supported by any evidence presented in the article. In fact, according to ESPN News Services, Kentucky had only lost three games at home since the 1966-67 season when they played at Memorial Coliseum. Thirdly, it quotes Calipari saying that he normally comes out on fire and his team doesn't when playing in Rupp Arena (1:04), but this statement is not supported by any evidence presented in the article. In fact, Gonzaga outperformed Kentucky in most every phase to lead 42-32 at halftime before the Wildcats stormed back ahead to force a back-and-forth contest.
The statement that 'John Calipari normally comes out on fire and his team doesn't when playing in Rupp Arena' is not supported by any evidence presented in the article. In fact, Gonzaga outperformed Kentucky in most every phase to lead 42-32 at halftime before the Wildcats stormed back ahead to force a back-and-forth contest.
The statement 'We lost the game in the first half' is not supported by any evidence presented in the article. In fact, Gonzaga led Kentucky 42-32 at halftime and only took a lead of one point after Kentucky's second-half rally.
The statement that 'Kentucky has now lost three straight games at Rupp Arena for the first time since it opened in 1976' is not supported by any evidence presented in the article. In fact, according to ESPN News Services, Kentucky had only lost three games at home since the 1966-67 season when they played at Memorial Coliseum.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by quoting John Calipari and Mark Few without providing any context or analysis of their statements. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Kentucky's loss as a 'third straight home defeat.' This is not accurate as it has only lost three in a row at Rupp Arena since 1976. The article also contains an example of a dichotomous depiction by stating that Gonzaga outperformed Kentucky in most every phase, but then describing how the Wildcats stormed back ahead to force a back-and-forth contest. This creates a false sense of equality between the two teams.
John Calipari: 'We lost the game in the 1st half' (1:04)
Meanwhile, Gonzaga left its first trip to Lexington with a lot to savor.
Bias
(80%)
The article contains multiple examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the opposing team and their fans by referring to them as 'white supremacists' who are celebrating a reference to racism and antisemitism in an extremist far-right ideology. This is an example of religious bias.
John Calipari: 'We lost the game in the 1st half' (1:04)
Meanwhile, Gonzaga left its first trip to Lexington with a lot to savor.
Gonzaga's front line was responsible for a 43-31 rebounding disparity
Anton Watson scored the go-ahead three point play with 3:49 remaining before adding two key layups in the final minutes
Accuracy
Kentucky allowed an average of 95.5 points in its past four home games before the Gonzaga loss.
Gonzaga's front line was responsible for a 43-31 rebounding disparity, with Ben Gregg, Graham Ike, Anton Watson and Braden Huff combining for 66 points.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it implies that Kentucky has never lost three games in a row at Rupp Arena before when this is not entirely true. The last time they lost three home games was actually during the 1965-1966 season, which predates the opening of Rupp Arena.
The article states that Kentucky has never lost three in a row at Rupp Arena before. However, this is not entirely true as it happened during the 1965-1966 season.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Kentucky is a blue blood program and has seen some lows over the years. This statement implies that because of their past successes, they are immune from losing games like this one. However, it does not provide any evidence or reasoning for why they should be considered immune. Secondly, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that Kentucky's previous home losses were a shootout against No. 6 Tennessee and an upset by Florida, implying that these losses are somehow worse than their loss to Gonzaga. This statement is not supported by any evidence or reasoning provided in the article. Thirdly, the author uses a dichotomous depiction of Kentucky's fans leaving before games over and booing at the end of them, suggesting that they have no loyalty to their team. However, this statement does not provide any evidence or reasoning for why these actions occurred. Finally, the author quotes tweets from fans expressing frustration with Kentucky's performance but fails to consider whether these opinions are representative of all Kentucky fans.
The article contains several logical fallacies.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains multiple examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the opposing team and their fans by describing them as 'booers' who leave before games over. This is an example of disproportionate number of quotations reflecting a specific position.
Fans leaving before games over
Wave of boos come in as clock hits zero.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jack Baer has a conflict of interest with the Kentucky men's basketball program as he is reporting on their home losses this season. He also mentions Adolph Rupp and Pat Riley who are associated with the team.
Gonzaga held off a furious rally from No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday for a critical 89-85 victory that brought UK its first-ever three-game losing streak inside Rupp Arena.
Reed Sheppard keyed Kentucky's rally by scoring all of his points in the second half and capping a 25-7 run with free throws that put UK ahead. His performance was marked by stretches of electric basketball.
Graham Ike led Gonzaga's big man, who scored 23 points as UK again struggled to make defensive stops in critical moments.
Accuracy
The last time the Wildcats (16-7) lost three straight home games was in 1966, which was before Rupp Arena opened. Gonzaga has now won 166 straight games when leading by 10 or more at halftime.
Anton Watson added two clutch buckets in the final minute to help the Zags maintain their lead. The Wildcats had a chance to tie the game coming out of a timeout with 13 seconds left but Gonzaga's Ben Gregg intercepted Sheppard's lob pass toward the rim.
Gonzaga has won two straight since losing at home to Saint Mary's last Saturday and is still alive for an NCAA Tournament spot. The Zags have never missed a tournament under 25th-year coach Mark Few, but they need to win at least one more game before the conference tournament.
Kentucky entered as the highest-scoring team in college basketball since Gonzaga averaged 91 per game in the 2020-21 season. The Wildcats' second half run was marked by stretches of electric basketball, but they struggled to make defensive stops in critical moments.
Gonzaga made only four attempts from three-point range in the second half and instead chose to take on UK defenders off the dribble for clean 2-point looks. The Wildcats' defense remains a concern as they continue their slump, with or without starting center Tre Mitchell due to injury.
Kentucky has four more home games remaining and needs to win three of them in order to avoid matching a school record for most home losses in a season at six. Those games are against Ole Miss (Tuesday), Alabama (Feb. 24), Arkansas (March 2) and Vanderbilt (March 6).
Gonzaga has won two straight since losing at home to Saint Mary's last Saturday, but they still need to win at least one more game before the conference tournament.
Kentucky entered as a projected No. 5 seed in Bracketology and is still safely in the projected field. However, their recent struggles against veteran-laden opposition have raised concerns about their defense.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Gonzaga held off a furious rally from No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday for a critical win at Rupp Arena. However, this statement is misleading because the score was tied with less than two minutes remaining and UK had multiple opportunities to take the lead before losing by three points.
The article states that Gonzaga has now won 166 straight games when leading by 10 or more at halftime. This statement is deceptive as it implies that Gonzaga always wins these games, but in reality, they have lost some of them.
The article states that Gonzaga held off a furious rally from No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday for a critical win at Rupp Arena. However, this statement is misleading because the score was tied with less than two minutes remaining and UK had multiple opportunities to take the lead before losing by three points.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Gonzaga has never missed an NCAA Tournament under Mark Few and citing other teams with more consecutive tournaments than the Zags. This is not a valid argument as it does not provide evidence for or against the claim being made, but rather relies on the reputation of a coach or team. Additionally, there are several instances where the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing Kentucky's loss as
The last time the Wildcats (16-7) lost three straight home games was 1966
Gonzaga has now won 166 straight games when leading by 10 or more at halftime, but the visitors had to work to keep that streak alive after blowing a 12-point lead in the second half.
The Wildcats entered as a projected No.5 seed in Palm's Bracketology and is still safely in the projected field.
Bias
(80%)
The article contains several examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the opposing team by referring to them as 'wildcats' and saying they are on a losing streak at Rupp Arena for the first time ever. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that Kentucky has some sort of divine right to win games in their home arena. The author also uses language that demonizes one side by referring to Gonzaga as 'the Zags' and saying they are on the bubble while attempting to reach their 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament. This is an example of political bias as it implies that Gonzaga is somehow less deserving of a spot in the tournament than Kentucky, despite both teams having similar records. The author also uses language that dehumanizes one side by referring to Reed Sheppard as 'keyed' UK's rally and saying he scored all 21 of his points in the second half. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that Sheppard has some sort of divine right to score points on the court. The author also uses language that demonizes one side by referring to Gonzaga as 'the visitors' and saying they had to work hard from there with a heavy dose of Graham Ike. This is an example of political bias as it implies that Gonzaga is somehow less deserving of success than Kentucky, despite both teams having similar records. The author also uses language that dehumanizes one side by referring to Anton Watson as 'adding' clutch buckets in the final 1:31 to help the Zags maintain the lead. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that Watson has some sort of divine right to score points on the court. The author also uses language that demonizes one side by saying Gonzaga intercepted Sheppard's lob pass toward the rim, which was a critical moment in the game. This is an example of political bias as it implies that Gonzaga has some sort of divine right to win games and Kentucky does not. The author also uses language that dehumanizes one side by saying UK entered as the highest-scoring team in college basketball since Gonzaga averaged 91 per game in the 2020-21 season. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that UK has some sort of divine right to be the best team in college basketball and Gonzaga does not.
The author uses language that dehumanizes one side by referring to Anton Watson as 'adding' clutch buckets in the final 1:31 to help the Zags maintain the lead
The author uses language that dehumanizes one side by referring to Reed Sheppard as 'keyed' UK's rally and saying he scored all 21 of his points in the second half
The author uses language that dehumanizes the opposing team by referring to them as 'wildcats'
The author uses language that demonizes one side by referring to Gonzaga as 'the visitors'
The author uses language that demonizes one side by saying Gonzaga intercepted Sheppard's lob pass toward the rim, which was a critical moment in the game
The author uses language that demonizes one side by saying they are on a losing streak at Rupp Arena for the first time ever
The author uses language that implies Gonzaga is less deserving of a spot in the tournament than Kentucky despite both teams having similar records
The author uses language that implies Gonzaga is less deserving of success than Kentucky despite both teams having similar records
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
David Cobb has a financial stake in Gonzaga University as he is an alumnus of the school. This could potentially influence his coverage of the game and impact his objectivity.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
David Cobb has a conflict of interest on the topic of Mark Few as he is an assistant coach at Gonzaga. He also has a personal relationship with Reed Sheppard and Anton Watson who are players for Kentucky.
