Kentucky Wildcats stalwart Malachi Moreno is getting all the praise for his clutch play that led to his team’s most recent win. On Wednesday, Jan. 14, Moreno and the rest of coach Mark Pope‘s 2025-26 Wildcats went up against coach Matt McMahon’s LSU Tigers at Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
To close out the game, Moreno caught a cross-court heave from the other end by way of an inbounding Collin Chandler. As Moreno caught it, he took a mid-range jumper from the left elbow in the dying seconds of the nip-and-tuck affair to win the game with a buzzer beater for the Wildcats. Ultimately, Kentucky beat its conference rivals, the Tigers, 75-74.
College basketball fans online reacted to the nail-biting game and Moreno.
“Malachi Moreno is our best player and I’m not even kidding. Dude is a STUD,” one fan asserted.
“So proud of the hustle and heart my Wildcats showed tonight. So proud! Well done, Mark Pope. I hope Malachi Moreno smiles through his dreams all night tonight. Kentucky’s own hometown hero! #GoBigBlue,” another fan claimed.
“Malachi Moreno just hit GOAT status! 👏🏻🏀,” a fan captioned.
Other X users lauded Moreno’s game-winner and its execution, and credited the big man for finishing the task in the clutch.
“Malachi Moreno with the Laettner play! The baseball pass finally works! @PaulFritschner,” one fan shared.
“Shoutout Malachi Moreno. Had four fouls with like 16 minutes left. Played the final 8 minutes without fouling and hits the game winner. I hope that kid likes Mark Pope because he’s going to be a stud man. Already blossoming,” another fan explained.
“Got out of church with 1:30 left to play. I love you Malachi Moreno,” another user shared.
“Kentucky grown Malachi Moreno with the shot heard around the state! The lesson hear is that you’re NEVER out of it against a @CoachMcMahon team! #BBN,” a fan posted.
Moreno finished the intense affair with 10 points on an efficient 4-of-7 clip, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in 20 minutes of playing time. Kentucky now holds an 11-6 overall record (2-2 SEC), as they look to win the program’s first national championship since 2012, when they were under the tutelage of legendary tactician John Calipari.
Malachi Moreno Reportedly Revealed That The Final Play Was Not For Him
During one of his post-game interviews, Malachi Moreno revealed to the media that the final play was not drawn for him. In a report by collegiate hoops reporter Tristan Pharis, Moreno shared that the final play was actually for his veteran teammate Otega Oweh and then his other teammate, Denzel Aberdeen.
It seems as though Moreno was in the right place at the right time.
Also Read: Way-Too-Early Predictions: Top 5 Teams That Can Win 2026 March Madness Ft. Purdue
Read More: Mark Pope Tips ‘Hungry’ 2023 McDonald’s All-American for Superstar Status at Kentucky
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