The Kentucky men’s basketball team had to duck and run to escape Norman with a win Wednesday.
One fan threw a beer at the visiting Wildcats while they left the court and headed to the tunnel following an 83-82 win against the Sooners at the Lloyd Noble Center in Oklahoma.
The beer appeared to miss any Kentucky player, although sophomore Brandon Garrison turned around after the can whipped by his head.
Someone threw a beer can at Kentucky players as they left the court. Nearly hit Brandon Garrison in the head. pic.twitter.com/OH14N5wPDk
— Adam Stratton (@AdamStrattonKSR) February 27, 2025
The hostile setting seemingly stemmed from Kentucky featuring former Sooner Otega Oweh and former Oklahoma State forward Garrison, who both played huge roles in the win.
Oweh scored the game-winning basket with six seconds remaining and led all scorers with 28 points, while Garrison blocked an attempted game-winning shot in the final seconds.
“Me being back home, they try to get up under my skin right from when I get in the game,” said Garrison, who scored 12 points and added four rebounds. “Things got a little chippy at the end, but it’s just basketball, nothing more, nothing less. It’s just part of that.”
The Oklahoma fans did not provide a welcoming environment for the Wildcats, with Oweh being booed during introductions and then throughout the contest.
Sooner fans even chanted, “He’s a traitor,” toward Oweh, per the Associated Press, after he left for Kentucky following two seasons with Oklahoma.
Oweh then scored the game’s final 18 points, including a tough shot late in the fourth to put Kentucky ahead by one with six seconds left. Garrison blocked Jeremiah Fears’ layup at the other end to seal the win.
Garrison gloated after the game-saving swat, turning to Fears and yelling in his face before being pulled away by teammate Amari Williams.
The referees kept blowing their whistles while separating the teams.
“My emotions got a little high when I got the block and realized we got the win,” Garrison said. “I forgot what I said, just glad I got the block.”
While Kentucky retreated to the locker room, Williams seemingly flashed “W” signs on both hands toward the fans, as seen in a video posted by Kentucky Sports Radio.
Garrison flexed for a second before the beer whizzed by his head to put an end to a wild night.
The Wildcats improved to 19-9 and 8-7 in SEC play, while Oklahoma is 17-11 and 4-11 in conference action and may be in a tough spot come Selection Sunday.
“It’s a great feeling, coming to your old space and getting a win,” Oweh said. “I definitely heard the boos. … It was cool as a basketball player getting that type of attention.”