Duquesne no match for No. 2 Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Any signs of a hangover for No. 2 Kentucky after crushing Michigan State earlier in the week were erased by halftime on Sunday night. The second-ranked Wildcats mauled Duquesne defensively, collecting 11 steals and forcing 18 turnovers en route to a decisive 93-59 win.
Kentucky's guard play has been the story of the season and it was again on Sunday night. De'Aaron Fox, Isaiah Briscoe and Malik Monk combined for 43 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Fox led the way in scoring with 16 for the Wildcats and also had a team-high six assists.
Freshman big man Bam Adebayo was efficient against the Dukes, scoring 12 points on five-of-eight shooting. He also pulled down eight rebounds. Fellow freshman Sacha Killeya-Jones had just three points on the season entering the game, but he put in a career-high six points on three-of-four shooting against the Dukes.
Freshman forward Wenyen Gabriel battled on the offensive and defensive glass in his first career start. Gabriel finished the night with three offensive rebounds and three defensive rebounds along with eight points.
Mychal Mulder drilled three three-pointers off the bench and finished in double-figures with 13 points.
Top performer: Bam Adebayo. He was quick to make decisions on the offensive end, showing off a nice hook shot with both his right and left hands. Adebayo also did a better job staying out of foul trouble. He fouled just twice in the game, allowing him to play 24 minutes.
Stat of the game: Shooting percentage. The Wildcats held Duquesne to 30 percent shoting from the field and 20 percent from three-point range. Meanwhile, Kentucky shot 46 percent and made seven three-pointers.
Highlight of the night: Malik Monk knocked away the ball from an offensive player, which was scooped up by Derek Willis and then thrown up the floor to Monk. As you can see, Monk finished the play with an exclamation point.
What's next: Kentucky (4-0) will face Cleveland State on Wednesday at 1 p.m. The Vikings are 1-2 on the season. It will likely be the Wildcats' first game as the No. 1 ranked team in the Associated Press poll.