Lexington, KY (Sports Network) - Patrick Patterson poured in 20 points, guiding the Kentucky Wildcats to an upset of the third-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, 72-66, in SEC action from Rupp Arena.

Ramel Bradley added 16 points, including a perfect 10-of-10 from the free- throw line, for Kentucky (8-9, 2-2 SEC), which snapped a two-game skid. Perry Stevenson contributed 14 points and five blocks, and Joe Crawford added 10 points, as the Wildcats have won 11 of the last 12 meetings in the series against the Vols.

Chris Lofton drained 22 points for Tennessee (16-2, 3-1), which saw its streak of 11 consecutive wins come to an end. Wayne Chism finished with 12 points and Ramar Smith chipped in with 10, though the Vols blemished their road record, slipping to 3-1 as the visitor. Tennessee, which had achieved its highest overall ranking in program history, failed in its attempt to get off to the best start in school history.

"It was very important for our confidence to come back in a game like this and get the win," commented Patterson. "This is a huge rivalry, and we all put it on the line. We are like a family, and everyone is starting to click together."

In the second half, the Wildcats used a 15-4 flurry to push ahead for the first time since it was 10-9 at the 12:56 mark of the opening stanza. Patterson and Crawford highlighted the barrage. Patterson netted five points and swatted a shot, while Crawford's back-to-back baskets from beyond-the-arc knotted the contest at 50-50. Jodie Meeks capped the run when he stroked a jumper to give Kentucky a slim 54-52 advantage with 9:23 to go.

From there, the squads went back-and-forth, trading blows that resulted in two lead changes and three ties. Lofton knotted it at 60-60 with a pair of free- throws with 2:19 remaining in the game.

But after that, the teams went in opposite directions, with the Vols unable to connect on six consecutive shots, while the 'Cats knocked down eight straight from the charity stripe, as Tennessee was forced to foul repeatedly following the errant shot attempts.

By the time Lofton nailed a three-pointer with 12 seconds to play, the Vols trailed 68-63. Tennessee continued to foul, but sent the SEC's leading free- throw shooter, Bradley, to the stripe. Bradley hit four from the line in the final 10 seconds.

All told, Kentucky went 12-for-12 in free-throw shooting down the stretch to put the game away.

"It was a great win for us against a great team," exclaimed Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie. "(Our) guys have figured out that it is a 40-minute game. They are going to be tough as nails to play against, no matter who they are playing. No matter what the situation might be, they are going to battle until the end every single time. That is what makes you so proud as a coach."

Lofton's jumper from beyond-the-arc with four seconds on the clock broke the SEC all-time record for most career three-pointers. It was Lofton's 367th three-pointer, besting Pat Bradley's mark of 366, set when he finished at Arkansas in 1999.

"Every team tries to find an identity," Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl explained. "Sometime this year we're going to play with passion and have poise. I thought tonight Kentucky was the more passionate team. I knew coming in that they were playing with great confidence. From our standpoint, it is difficult to imagine Tennessee not coming to Rupp with that passion and poise, but it has been a difficult stretch for us."

Tennessee broke open a close game with a 9-0 burst in the first frame. JaJuan Smith sealed the scoring streak when he nailed a layup, as the Vols surged ahead, 33-23, with 2:54 left in the half.

After Kentucky responded with a 7-0 spurt, climbing back to within a bucket, Lofton extended the Volunteers' advantage before the break. With three seconds on the clock, Tyler Smith found Lofton beyond-the-arc, and he buried the three-pointer, helping Tennessee take a 36-30 lead into the locker rooms.