By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Backup center Shagari Alleyne scored a career-high 16 points and No. 15 Kentucky beat Georgia State 73-46 on Tuesday night despite playing without leading scorer Rajon Rondo.

The sophomore guard, the team leader in the major offensive categories, was held out with strep throat. Without Rondo, who averages 14.7 points and 10 rebounds, coach Tubby Smith abandoned his normal three-guard lineup and instead found success with Alleyne.

Alleyne, a 7-foot-3 junior whose previous career high was 11 points, was averaging only 8.2 minutes per game and had scored only seven points all season before taking advantage of the opportunity against the Panthers.

Joe Crawford had 14 points and Ramel Bradley added 12 for Kentucky (6-2), which led by only six points at halftime before pulling away with a 22-6 run to open the second half.

Patrick Sparks added 10 points — all in the second half — for Kentucky.

Freshman Rashad Chase led Georgia State (2-3) with a career-high 19 points.

Kentucky had two 11-0 runs in the first half after Georgia State scored the first 11 points. Smith subbed for Alleyene, who had three baskets and a blocked shot as the Wildcats answered with their own run.

After Georgia State took a 14-11 lead, a 3-pointer by Bobby Perry sparked another 11-0 run by Kentucky for a 22-14 lead. The Wildcats led 30-24 at halftime and pushed the lead to 22 points at 52-30 on a 3-pointer by Ramel Bradley with 10:27 left.

Notes: C Lukasz Obrzut made his third start of the season for Kentucky — his first since the third game. … Kentucky was the first of three Southeastern Conference opponents on Georgia State’s December schedule. The Panthers will play Georgia Saturday at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth and will play at Alabama on Dec. 17. … Kentucky beat Georgia State 77-59 last season in Lexington.