No. 15 Kentucky Breezes By North Florida 96-56
It felt like Thanksgiving inside Rupp Arena on Wednesday afternoon, as No. 15 Kentucky gobbled up North Florida for 40 minutes, defeating the Ospreys 96-56.
Three Wildcats reached double-figures in what was a nice and easy bounce-back opportunity following the disappointing drubbing in Spokane at the hands of then-No. 2 Gonzaga. It's Kentucky's second win over UNF is as many years.
UK assisted on 23 of 35 makes, keeping its assist average at 19.6 a game. The average is the highest through six games under head coach John Calipari during his tenure in Lexington.
"Here's the biggest thing. I love this group," Calipari said post-game. "They're great teammates. There are still some guys unsure of themselves. Most of 'em have a ways to go."
Shooting guard Antonio Reeves made sure not to squander his first starting assignment as a Wildcat, sniping his way to 20 points on 7-12 shooting, cashing in on four 3-pointers. He's now scored 10 points in five of six games for UK, making at least one deep ball every time he's stepped on the court in blue and white.
“The rim got bigger for me. I just kept shooting the ball. There were a couple of times I missed. Shooters shoot, so I definitely have that mentality,” Reeves said of his performance.
“Antonio is definitely a spark for us," forward Jacob Toppin added. "He can really score the ball, so when he gets going, it’s good for everyone because we feed off that type of energy."
Three runs of at least seven points to zero propelled the Wildcats to a 54-23 lead at halftime. Reeves had 18 of his 20 in the first 20 minutes, knocking down four from behind the arc, while superstar center Oscar Tshiebwe came oh-so close to compiling an early double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
It took the reigning National Player of the Year less than a minute to reach his usual mark. In 22 minutes, he logged yet another impressive stat-line of 16 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. He's now notched at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in 19 of his last 20 games for Kentucky, dating back to last season.
The second half was just as nonchalant as the first, though Toppin decided to take over for the first time this season, dropping a team-best 12 points in the back 20, leading him to his new career-high of 20. He added 10 boards to notch his second career double-double.
“After a loss we always want to bounce back, and I think we did a good job of that," Toppin said. “As the season goes on, I’m going to get more confident, but that’s because of my teammates."
worried about scoring right now, I’m worried about defense and rebounding, and the offense will come.
Jarius Hicklen led North Florida (1-4) with 17 points, hitting four 3-pointers of his own. As a team, UNF made just six shots from downtown.
Kentucky (4-2) demolished UNF on the glass, winning the rebound battle 50-35. No Osprey recorded more than five boards on Wednesday afternoon.
The Wildcats now enter a welcomed six-day break, as they won't return to action until Tuesday, Nov. 29, as in the in-state Bellarmine Knights will enter Rupp Arena just two days after playing UCLA in Los Angeles.
"It's a good group," Calipari said. "Like I said the last time, we're going to, we're a work in progress. We're going to work every day. We got some time. And by the way, Bellarmine, they're good. I mean, they're really good. So we got our hands full."
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST.
Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.
Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.
