Wilkins' Clutch Shot Lifts Kentucky Past Northern Arizona
Alex Wilkins hit a three-pointer with 2.2 seconds remaining as No. 24 Kentucky overcame a late deficit to beat Northern Arizona 78-77 on Friday at Rupp Arena.
Wilkins finished with 14 points, as did Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno. Ousmane N’Diaye scored 11 for the Cats.
Kentucky (3-1) trailed by as many as five points in the second half before rallying late to win.
NAU scored the first four points of the game before Moreno scored in the lane to cut the deficit in half. After a Lumberjacks’ three-pointer, N’Diaye hit a three of his own to make it 7-5. NAU scored again to lead by four.
Zoom Diallo hit a three to get UK within one and N’Diaye hit his second three of the game to give the Cats an 11-9 lead. Two NAU free throws tied the game before Diallo hit a mid-range jumper to give UK a two-point advantage. However, the Lumberjacks hit a three on their end to lead 14-13.
Justin McBride hit a three to give the Cats a two-point lead, but NAU scored to tie the game at 16-16. McBride scored again but NAU tied the game again before Moreno scored at the rim to give Kentucky a 20-18 lead.
Diallo scored to extend the lead to four before Northern Arizona scored to cut the UK lead in half. N’Diaye scored at the rim, then hit a three to extend the lead to 27-20. Milan Momcilovic scored on a fadeaway jumper before NAU hit a three to end the 7-0 UK run.
Wilkins scored four in a row to stretch the lead to 33-23 before NAU hit three free throws to get within seven. Momcilovic hit back-to-back threes to give UK a 39-26 advantage but NAU answered with consecutive threes to get within seven again.
Mason Williams hit a pair of free throws, but NAU did the same to cut the UK lead to 41-34. Moreno scored to give the Cats a nine-point lead. NAU hit a three but Moreno scored in the lane and UK led 45-37. That would be the halftime score.
Moreno scored the first two points of the second half, but NAU hit a three to cut the UK lead to 47-40. Moreno hit two free throws before the Lumberjacks hit a three to get within six. NAU then got an old fashioned three-point play to get within three, 49-46. The Lumberjacks then scored at the rim and hit another three, closing an 11-0 run that gave NAU a 51-48 lead.
Wilkins hit a three to give Kentucky the lead back, but the Lumberjacks responded with a three of their own to lead 54-52. NAU scored again to lead by four before Wilkins made a layup to get the deficit in half. However, the Lumberjacks scored on the other end to lead 58-54 with 10:55 to play.
Momcilovic hit a three to get the Cats within one but NAU scored four in a row to lead 62-57. Williams scored in the lane and at the rim to get Kentucky within one and Moreno scored underneath to give the Cats a 63-62 lead. However, NAU hit two free throws to take the lead back with 4:55 to play.
McBride hit a three on UK’s next possession, but the Lumberjacks answered with a three to lead 67-66. McBride scored in the lane as the lead swung back to the Cats, but NAU hit a three to lead 70-68. The Lumberjacks scored again to lead by four with 1:43 to play.
Williams scored to cut the deficit to two, but NAU scored on the other end to again lead by four. Momcilovic converted a three-point play but the Lumberjacks hit a three to lead 77-73 with 22 seconds remaining. Williams scored with 14 seconds to play. NAU missed the front end of a one-and-one, setting the stage for Wilkins’ heroics at the end.
Kentucky returns to action on Monday, hosting Grambling State at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be seen on SEC Network Plus.
