Kentucky-Northern Arizona Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY
NOVEMBER 13, 2026
ATTENDANCE: 19,459

Final Score: No. 24/RV Kentucky 78, Northern Arizona 77

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 3-1 and Northern Arizona is 0-4.
• This was the first meeting between the schools in men’s basketball.
  • This is the third of six teams that UK is playing for the first time in program history. Grambling, Bryant and Sacred Heart are the remaining three.
• Kentucky will return to action Monday when the Wildcats play host to Grambling State. Game time is 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on SEC Network+.

Team Notes

• Good shooting night for Kentucky, 56.4 percent from the field, 42.3% from 3-point range and 83.3% at the free throw line.
  • UK has shot at least 50 percent field goals in three of the first four games. The Wildcats are 30-1 under Coach Mark Pope when making at least half of their shots.
• Kentucky made 11 3-pointers tonight and the Wildcats are 29-5 under Pope when making at least 10 long balls.
• Kentucky had balanced scoring with five players in double figures.
• Kentucky had a season-low four turnovers.
• Kentucky won blocked shots 5-0. The Wildcats have had more blocks than the opponent in all four games.
• This was Kentucky’s first one-point win in Rupp Arena since a 74-73 verdict over Texas A&M on Jan. 9, 2018.

Player Notes

• Malachi Moreno had 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.
  • He is the first Wildcat with at least 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in consecutive games since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on March 15 and 17, 2018.
• Alex Wilkins tied for scoring honors with 14 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds remaining.
  • It was his second heroic game of the season. In the exhibition game vs. UCF, he hit a floater in the lane to send the game to overtime, which UK won.
  • He added four assists and no turnovers in more than 31 minutes of action.
• Milan Momcilovic also paced the Wildcats in scoring with 14 points.
• Buoyed by three 3-pointers, Ousmane N’Diaye had a career-high 11 points, his first double-figure tally in the Blue and White.
• Justin McBride enjoyed a perfect shooting night, 4 of 4 from the field, including a couple of 3-pointers, for a total of 10 points.

In the First Half

• Kentucky has started Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Milan Momcilovic, Ousmane N’Diaye and Malachi Moreno in every game this season.
• Mason Williams and Justin McBride were the first substitutions for UK at 13:08.
• Tied at 18, Kentucky went on a 15-5 run to establish a 10-point lead.
• Kentucky shot 62.1 percent from the field in the first half, taking a 45-37 lead into the locker room.
• N’Diaye hit a trio of 3-pointers en route to 11 points. Momcilovic and Moreno had eight points each, with Moreno contributing three assists.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starters.
• Trailing 49-40, NAU went on an 8-0 run, coaxing a UK timeout at 15:02.
• Coming out of the timeout, NAU hit a 3-pointer to regain the lead at 51-49.
• Wilkins hit a 3-pointer but NAU tallied five in a row, extending the run to 16-3 to make the score 56-52.
• NAU took its largest lead at 62-57 with 7:13 left.
• Kentucky put together a 6-0 spurt to go ahead 63-62 with 5:17 to go.
• Trailing 77-73 after an NAU 3-pointer with 22 seconds remaining, Mason Williams’ contested jumper brought the Wildcats within two.
• After NAU missed a pair of 1-and-1 free throws, Wilkins swished a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining.
• NAU missed a desperation heave at the buzzer as Kentucky held on to win.