"He's got no fear": Mark Pope lauds Kentucky star Travis Perry after Wildcats blow past Texas A&M

Mark Pope had Travis Perry to thank after the Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Texas A&M Aggies 81-69 in their SEC showdown at Rupp Arena on Tuesday night. Perry provided quality minutes off the bench for the Wildcats, who improved their record to 14-3.

Texas A&M kept things close in the first half, with Kentucky protecting a slim 35-32 lead at the break. Pope decided to use Perry immediately in the second half, a move that paid dividends for the Wildcats. He scored back-to-back 3-pointers to extend Kentucky's lead to 46-34 with 16:57 remaining in the contest.

Perry finished the game with six points on 2-of-4 shooting, with all his attempts coming from beyond the arc. He played just 10 minutes against the Aggies, but Pope appreciated his impact, showering the freshman guard with praise in the post-game press conference.

“TP is terrific, isn’t he? Against a really complicated defense, like this is not an easy defense to kind of figure out," Pope said. "You know what? Our guys are pretty good at figuring out what they’re seeing and we’re pretty good about coaching them."

"TP, it was big shots, really big shots. They made us feel a whole lot better and he’s got no fear. He just went out to play and you know it’s fun. If you chart his trajectory, you just get to see these little steps that he’s taken. We all get to see it."

Mark Pope was impressed with how Travis Perry handled himself in one of Kentucky's biggest games of the year.

"To see these guys grow is special. TP has definitely done that,” Pope said. "This is a high-pressure game. It’s a top-10 game against one of the best defenses in the country and he was terrific."

Jaxson Robinson and Andrew Carr deliver for Mark Pope in the win over Texas A&M

Three starters scored in double figures for the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats, who recorded their second consecutive win. Jaxson Richardson led the Wildcats in scoring again, dropping a game-high 22 points.

He shot 8-for-17 from the field, including 5-for-13 from beyond the arc. He also had eight rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes of action.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Photo: Imagn

Andrew Carr scored 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting. Otega Oweh added 11 points for the Wildcats, who improved their record against SEC opponents to 3-1.

Mark Pope's Kentucky will next face No. 4 Alabama on Saturday.