The Wildcats needed this win, and they got it emphatically.
This is how it is supposed to look with Mark Pope as the Kentucky Wildcats’ head coach.
Kentucky’s offense finally woke up against a Power Four and SEC team, blowing out Mississippi State 92-68. The Wildcats shot 55.2% from the floor, including 9/22 from 3-point range.
The Wildcats had 21 assists to just nine turnovers. They scored 19 fastbreak points, 54 points in the paint, and had 35 points off the bench.
Saturday night was a performance we all expected after last season. It’s a confidence-builder for a team that needed it.
First Half
Kentucky fell behind 18-6 with 14:30 left in the first half. If you started making vacation plans in March, you weren’t alone.
But then, the Wildcats got off the mats. Malachi Moreno was the star, scoring 10 points and pulling down five rebounds. Four of those rebounds were offensive. Not to mention, he also had three assists and two steals.
The Wildcats flipped a 12-point deficit into a five-point halftime lead. They held Mississippi State to no made field goals over the last 3:17 of the first half.
Kentucky shot 51.4% from the floor in the first half, including 4-11 from 3-point range. The Wildcats out-rebounded the Bulldogs 19-13, and the Wildcats had nine assists to just four turnovers.
Second Half
Otega Oweh took the game over in the second half. After entering the second half with nine points, Oweh scored 13 points in the second half to finish with 22 points to lead the Wildcats in scoring. In addition, Oweh had five assists and five steals. Oweh finished 10-of-17 from the floor and two-of-four from 3-point range.
MVP: Malachi Moreno
We’re watching a star in the making and the emergence of a great all-around player. Moreno was fantastic in all facets of the stat sheet Saturday night, scoring 17 points, pulling down a team-leading eight rebounds, leading the Wildcats with six assists, and getting four steals. Moreno played 28 minutes in getting the start Saturday night.
The Kentucky boy has a very bright future!
Highlights
Box Score
Twitter Reactions
Big Blue Nation had a dramatic swing of emotions Saturday night. Here are the best Twitter reactions from Kentucky fans during Kentucky’s 92-68 win over Mississippi State.
Category: General Sports
