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The No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats matched up against the Kentucky State Thorobreds on the Rupp Arena court Thursday night. The Thorobreds are a Division II school and are led by head coach Jamaal Jackson, who is in his 7th season at KSU.
The Wildcats had three inactive players for the game, Oscar Tshiebwe (knee scope), Sahvir Wheeler (re-injured knee in Missouri Western State game), and Daimion Collins (personal). Some keys to look for in the game were Onyenso’s impact in the front court with both Tshiebwe and Collins out, team rebounding (Guard Cason Wallace led the ‘Cats with 7 rebounds against MWS), team three-point shooting, and PG play with Wheeler out. A couple of players that are looking to get going before the season start next week are Kentucky newcomers Chris Livingston and Antonio Reeves.
The Kentucky starting lineup featured Cason Wallace, CJ Frederick, Chris Livingston, Jacob Toppin, and Lance Ware.
Game Recap:
The game scoring started quickly with a deep three point make by KSU guard Montrell Jacobs. Kentucky quickly followed with a corner three-pointer of their own from sharpshooter CJ Frederick. Hustle plays and transition buckets helped the ‘Cats score early and often, bringing the score to 16-5 at the first media timeout. Kentucky continued to extend their lead thanks to a 14-0 run over a short 3-minute span. That 14-0 run eventually stretched into a 25-2 run over a 5-minute spurt to bring the lead to 30-7 ‘Cats. The Wildcats made 4 three-pointers in the first 9 minutes of the game and finished the half with 8 made three-pointers. Another lengthy run 15-0 run by the ‘Cats grew the lead to 47-14 with 7 minutes to play in the half. With the lead at 57-19, Coach Calipari elected to motion for walk-on Brennan Canada to enter the game to gain some first half minutes. An alley-oop slam by Ware finished the scoring for the ‘Cats in the first half, bringing the halftime score to 61-25 Kentucky. In the half, the ‘Cats had just 3 turnovers and outrebounded the Thorobreds 33-19.
The second half scoring started with a driving layup by Frederick. Quickly after, Ware steals a rebound from a Throrobred big man and finishes an and-one dunk, showcasing his defensive intensity and ability to finish at the rim. Kentucky’s lead was 70-30 at the first media timeout in the half. As the offense began to slow for the ‘Cats, the lead extended to 75-30 with 12 minutes to play in the game. Reeves had a strong stretch in the second half, making back-to-back three-pointers to extend the lead to 81-34. Onyenso was also a force in the second half, seeing more minutes with Tshiebwe and Collins out. Onyenso continued his strong showing on the defensive end, altering shots consistently and running the floor to get an open layup on the offensive end. Toppin also showed why he is a potential NBA lottery pick in next years draft by flying in for a couple dunks in the second half, bringing the lead to 87-37 ‘Cats. With walk-ons in to play much of the final 4 minutes of action, Kentucky ended the game on a 24-16 run to lead the ‘Cats to a 111-53 win over the Kentucky State Thorobreds.
The leading scorer for the game was Reeves with 23 points (5 made three-pointers), followed closely by Toppin with 21 points (6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks). Toppin also achieved the highest plus/minus total in the game with a +50 in 30 minutes of action. The leading rebounder in the game was Onyenso with 11 boards (5 offensive). Six Wildcats finished in double figures with 10 ‘Cats scoring in the game in total, including Canada adding in 5 points late in the game. A key takeaway in the game was Wallace’s success running the offense as the primary PG in the game with Wheeler out. Wallace finished the game with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. Onyenso continued to impress with his ability to alter shots in the paint while showcasing his rebounding ability and willingness to run the floor in transition. Livingston started the game strong, driving with the ball and crashing the boards. He did tend to “disappear” on the floor at times but reappeared strong late in the second half to finish the game with 14 points and 5 rebounds. Adou Thiero once again impressed in limited minutes (18 minutes), collecting 7 points and 5 rebounds.
The ‘Cats look ready to roll for the regular season after a successful final tune-up before they take on the Howard Bisons Monday, November 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Rupp Arena to tip off the 2022-23 basketball season.
