Mark Pope says officials 'cheated' Kentucky in hot-mic moment after foul call in last-second loss to Auburn
CBS Sports
by
Carter Bahns
February 22, 2026
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Kentucky suffered its third straight loss in a controversial 75-74 defeat to Auburn, with coach Mark Pope expressing frustration over a pivotal foul call that sealed the outcome. In a hot-mic moment after his postgame media availability, Pope vented his frustrations with the SEC officials, though he avoided directly blaming them during his press conference. The game’s turning point came with 14.3 seconds remaining when Collin Chandler was called for an offensive foul after shoving Auburn’s Kevin Overton, leading to a critical turnover and a game-winning basket by Elyjah Freeman. Despite his anger, Pope emphasized the importance of maintaining control and not making excuses, even in the face of adversity.
The controversial call occurred during a defensive stand where mutual contact between Chandler and Overton could have potentially led to a different outcome. Kentucky was leading by one point at the time but lost possession after the whistle, allowing Auburn to score the decisive basket with 1.1 seconds left. Pope acknowledged the difficulty of the situation but refrained from criticizing the officials directly, instead focusing on the team’s ability to handle external factors and stay in control.
The loss adds to Kentucky’s growing disappointment, as they entered the season with high expectations for a
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Originally published on CBS Sports on 2/22/2026