LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Antonio Reeves pumped in a game-high 27 points against his old Illinois State team as No. 8 Kentucky rolled to a 96-70 win on Friday night at Rupp Arena.
Reeves, who played three seasons with the Redbirds before transferring to UK, hit 10 of 15 shots from the field and led four players in double-figure scoring on a typically potent offensive night for the Wildcats (10-2).
"Yeah, it meant everything to play on the floor with them," Reeves said of playing his former team. "I have been here for two years but, yeah, it was awesome. It is a great feeling."
Kentucky also got strong offensive performances from the freshman backcourt trio of Rob Dillingham (16), DJ Wagner (14), and Reed Sheppard (11). The Cats shot 57% from the field, knocked down 11 3-pointers, and dished out 23 assists on their 36 buckets.
"I was very impressed with them on film coming in," Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon said. "I've followed Kentucky for a long time... the talent, I think, is very much the same as some of the other years where they have a plethora of NBA talent.
"I think there's a different brand of basketball and commitment to playing a certain way with this team. I think there's a very obvious difference to me, and that shows up in their selfless play. They're really hard to guard."
It was a lopsided victory despite the Cats giving their head coach something to harp on going into SEC play next week at Florida. Illinois State outrebounded UK 45-40 and pulled down 24 offensive rebounds.
"A lot of good, but 24 offensive rebounds... you're not going to win many games in our league," UK head coach John Calipari said. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Kentucky, however, was never truly threatened in this matchup. The Cats led 45-30 at the half and by as many as 28 points in the second half.
Illinois State (8-5) was led by senior guard Myles Foster with 20 points on an 8-for-11 shooting night, but his team shot only 33% for the game.
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In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
KEY MOMENT:
Illinois State came out shooting the ball well and held a 13-9 lead at the first media timeout, but Kentucky went on a 15-3 spurt to seize control of the game. Six different Cats scored during the run, underscoring UK's strong ball-sharing.
GAME BALL:
Antonio Reeves, Kentucky -- The Cats' senior guard followed his 30-point effort against Louisville with 27 against his former school, Illinois State. He hit four of UK's 11 3-pointers and also pulled down six rebounds.
BY THE NUMBERS:
2-0 - Kentucky's lead in the all-time series with Illinois State.
6 - Wildcats with two or more assists, led by Rob Dillingham with seven.
9 - Blocked shots by UK, led by three from sophomore center Ugonna Onyenso.
24-7 - Offensive rebound advantage for Illinois State, although second-chance points were only 15-14 in the Redbirds' favor.
+30 - Team-best +/- for UK center/forward Tre Mitchell. He finished with eight points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and a blocked shot.
118-8 - Kentucky's record against non-conference opponents at Rupp Arena under John Calipari.
QUOTABLE:
"If we rebound the ball, it's going to be hard to beat us." -- UK head coach John Calipari
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 6, at Florida in the SEC opener. The Gators (9-3) will play Quinnipiac this Saturday prior to welcoming the Cats to Gainesville.
