Williams' Big Night Leads Cats Past Knights
Kam Williams hit eight three-pointers on his way to a career-high 26 points as Kentucky topped Bellarmine 99-85 on Tuesday afternoon at Rupp Arena.
Mo Dioubate tied his season high with 20 points and he added five rebounds. Denzel Aberdeen had 14 points and Jasper Johnson added 11. Otega Oweh had 10 points, a career-high 10 assists and a season-high eight rebounds.
The Cats found an offensive rhythm on Tuesday, making 33 of 56 (58.9 percent) from the floor, including 16 of 30 (53.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
Kentucky got on the board first via an Oweh free throw. Bellarmine scored the next five points before UK got a three from Denzel Aberdeen and a putback from Mo Dioubate to lead 6-5. Another Aberdeen three extended the lead to four, but Bellarmine scored the next four points to tie the game at 9-9.
A Collin Chandler three gave the Cats the lead back. After a bucket by the Knights, Dioubate scored underneath and UK led 14-11. However, Bellarmine scored the next four points and took a 15-14 advantage.
Jayden Quaintance scored three consecutive points to give the Cats a 17-15 lead. After Bellarmine tied the game, Trent Noah scored in the lane and UK led by two. The Knights tied the game again before a Jasper Johnson three gave the Cats a 22-19 advantage. And when Andrija Jelavic scored on a putback, Kentucky had a five-point lead.
Bellarmine hit a pair of free throws before Johnson scored again to give UK a five-point lead. The Knights hit a three to get within two but Kam Williams answered with a three, stretching the lead to five. After a Bellarmine basket, Williams hit another three and the Cats led 32-26.
After two Bellarmine free throws, Dioubate converted a three-point play to give Kentucky a 35-28 lead. Two Williams free throws gave UK a nine-point lead before Bellarmine hit two threes to get within three. Two Oweh free throws and a Dioubate basket made it a seven-point game, but the Knights scored four in a row to get within three. The Cats finished the half with an Oweh dunk and a Johnson three that gave UK a 46-38 halftime advantage.
Dioubate scored the first points of the second half and an Oweh free throw gave UK an 11-point lead. After a Bellarmine bucket, Aberdeen scored to make it 51-40. Following two Bellarmine free throws, Dioubate scored underneath and UK led 53-42. The Knights would hit two more free throws before Aberdeen and Johnson hit threes to extend the lead to 60-45.
Bellarmine would fight back and would eventually get within nine at 65-56, but Williams hit three straight three-pointers to stretch the lead to 74-56.
Kentucky would maintain a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game before settling for the XX-point win.
The Cats return to action on Jan. 3, visiting Alabama in the Southeastern Conference opener. Tipoff is set for noon ET and the game can be seen on ESPN.
