The Big 12 Conference avenged its loss to the SEC last season in the challenge between the two league's with a close win on Saturday. A year removed from falling short 6-4 to the SEC, the Big 12 flipped the script by winning by the same 6-4 score.
And boy, was it close. Four games were decided by five or fewer points -- including a one-possession outcome in Texas Tech-Arkansas, the final game played on Saturday -- that ultimately tipped the scales. South Carolina vs. Oklahoma State was a 4-point win for the Cowboys, Texas Tech- vs. Arkansas a 3-point win for the Red Raiders, Baylor vs. Alabama a 5-point win for the Bears, and TCU-Florida a 5-point win for the Frogs.
Of the 10 games played, only one team -- on-the-rise Iowa State -- had the goods to pull off a road win. Below are the final scores from the 2019 iteration of the Challenge.
SEC/Big 12 Challenge scores
Big 12 wins 6-4
No. 8 Kentucky 71, No. 9 Kansas 63
Kansas big man Dedric Lawson scored 20 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Kentucky overpowered the Jayhawks down the stretch. The Wildcats fell behind double digits early and trailed by 3 at halftime, but outrebounded, outhustled and outclassed visiting KU down the stretch.
TCU 55, Florida 50
There weren't many highlights because there were not many points scored, but Kouat Noi scored 22 points and knocked down three triples as the Horned Frogs improved to 15-4.
Iowa State 87, Ole Miss 73
The most impressive win of the day goes to Iowa State. Not only did the Cyclones go on the road and claim an impressive win, they went wire to wire, leading for 38 minutes and 24 seconds and never trailing. A complete performance. Talen Horton-Tucker, an underrated NBA Draft prospect, led ISU with 23 points and 8 rebounds.
Baylor 73, Alabama 68
The proverbial corner appears to be turned for Baylor, as it won its fourth straight game over a really good Alabama team. Mississippi State transfer Mario Kegler paced the Bears with 17 points, and Makai Mason added 13 in the effort.
Texas A&M 65, Kansas State 53
K-State couldn't get its offense going down the stretch, and it eventually caught the Cats. They scored only 23 points in the final 20 minutes as the Aggies pulled away. Baylor transfer Wendell Mitchell scored 22 points.
Oklahoma State 74, South Carolina 70
Oklahoma State came in with seven healthy scholarship players Saturday and dispatched a South Carolina team that came in having won six of its last seven games. Sharpshooting OSU guard Thomas Dziagwa led the way with 19 points, and Lindy Waters III added 17.
Georgia 98, Texas 88
Georgia got its Sugar Bowl revenge against the Longhorns, defeating the visitors in one of the more surprising outcomes of the day. Five Bulldogs finished in double figures, led by Tyree Crump's 21.
Tennessee 83, West Virginia 66
Tennessee started sluggish, as if it was prepared to sleepwalk its way to a win over a middling West Virginia team. Then it woke up and cruised to an easy win. Grant Williams scored 19, Lamonte Turner had a game-high 23, and the Vols improved to 18-1 on the season.
Oklahoma 86, Vanderbilt 55
I was wrong. Like, way wrong. I thought that three days removed from an overtime loss to No. 1 Tennessee, that the Commodores had the goods to go on the road and knock off Oklahoma in Norman. But the Sooners weren't having it. They stomped Vandy by the most lopsided result of the Challenge games.
No. 14 Texas Tech 67, Arkansas 64
After a closely-contested first half that saw Arkansas pull away by 3 at half, the fourteenth-ranked Red Raiders jumped out to a lead in the opening minutes of the second half and never looked back. Arkansas made a late push but it wasn't enough, as 22 points from Davide Moretti and 15 from Jarrett Culver kept them within arms distance to the finish line.
