LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Mark Pope & Co. have rejected the notion of "letdown" or "trap" games with a veteran-laden Kentucky squad, but all signs pointed to the No. 5 Wildcats having one of those Wednesday night against Colgate.

Sandwiched between high-profile opponents Gonzaga and Louisville on the UK schedule, the heavy-underdog Pirates dug out of a 17-0 hole to start the game and found themselves with a stunning three-point lead early in the second half.

Frustrated but undeterred, Kentucky finally got the surge it was seeking when the Cats splashed five consecutive 3-pointers coming out of a timeout to regain control and pull away for a hard-fought 78-67 win at Rupp Arena.

"I was proud of our group," Colgate head coach Matt Langel said. "... Just ran out of gas a little bit and Kentucky -- give a tip of your cap -- they made some shots and they had a stretch where we had gotten the lead, and then they stepped up in maybe five or ten minutes (to win the game)."

Pope conceded that the Cats struggled to maintain the needed energy level throughout the game.

"We had some weird energy," he said. "There was all kinds of weirdness. The 17-0 (lead) was weird, then it got even weirder (trailing in the second half). But our guys rang the bell, and I was really proud of them.

"We are an energy-monitoring, energy-managing team... We're trying to become masters of energy, and games like this can help you learn about yourself."

Ultimately, talent won out.

Kentucky (9-1) placed five players in double-figure scoring, led by grad senior guard Koby Brea with 17 points. He shot 6-of-12 from the field and knocked down five of the Cats' 10 3-pointers on the night.

Junior guard Otega Oweh followed with 15 points and dished out four assists. Grad senior center Amari Williams had a season-high 15 points, and grad senior forward Andrew Carr had his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Grad senior guard Jaxson Robinson also had 11 points for the Cats.

Colgate (2-9) was led by sophomore guard Parker Jones with 17 points, including four 3-pointers. He also had six rebounds and two assists.

*****

In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...

KEY MOMENT:

Trailing 47-46 at the under-16 media timeout in the second half, Kentucky came out of the huddle and quickly re-asserted its dominance. A 15-2 run included two 3s by Jaxson Robinson, one by Trent Noah, one by Otega Oweh, and one by Koby Brea to turn a one-point deficit into a 12-point lead in the blink of an eye.

GAME BALL:

Koby Brea, Kentucky - The Cats' sharpshooter knocked down half of his team's 3-pointers, going 5-of-8 from beyond the arc to score a team-high 17 points. In doing so, he joined the 1,000-point club for his career, now at 1,013 points scored.

BY THE NUMBERS:

1st - Meeting between Kentucky and Colgate.

6 - Turnovers for the Wildcats, a season-low.

6th - Time in 10 games that UK has placed five or more players in double-figure scoring.

6:40 - Time Colgate went scoreless to start the game, getting its first points on a jumper with 13:20 to go. The Raiders trailed 17-0 at that point.

46-35 - Kentucky advantage on the glass. The Cats have won or tied in the rebounding column in all but one game this season.

19,646 - Attendance at Rupp Arena.

QUOTABLE:

"I just think the group that Coach Pope has assembled here are winners. They're here for all the right reasons, so we have the utmost respect." -- Colgate head coach Matt Langel on the Wildcats

UP NEXT:

Kentucky returns to action on Saturday in its annual rivalry clash with Louisville. The Cardinals (6-4) defeated UTEP 77-74 on Wednesday in Louisville. Tipoff for the Cats and Cards is slated for 5:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.

In the First Half

Kentucky’s starters were Koby Brea, Jaxson Robinson, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams. It is the first time this combination has been used.

Brandon Garrison was the first substitution at 16:42.

Kentucky scored the first 17 points of the game, the Wildcats’ largest run since a 17-0 spurt in the 2023-24 season opener vs. New Mexico State.

The Wildcats went cold for almost six minutes as Colgate responded with an 11-0 run.

The Raiders stayed hot and closed within 38-36 at halftime on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Brea led UK in the first half with 12 points, coming on 4-of-4 on 3-pointers.

In the Second Half

Kentucky began the second half with the starters.

Colgate kept it going and took its first lead, 41-40, on a 3-pointer at the 18:28 mark.

Colgate increased the lead to three points, 45-42.

Trailing 47-46, UK regained the lead with a quartet of 3-pointers – two by Robinson, one by Trent Noah and one by Oweh to make it 58-47.

The Wildcats never trailed again, stretching the lead to as many as 18 points at 69-51.