Kentucky 99-53 to get back in Win Colum
LEXINGTON – November 14, 2025, Michael Willis
Kentucky bounced back in dominant fashion Thursday night, routing Eastern Illinois 99–53 at Rupp Arena. The game was never in doubt and helped ease some of the sting from Tuesday’s loss to Louisville.
Prior to tipoff, the program announced that guard Jaland Lowe had re-aggravated his shoulder injury in practice and would miss the game. His absence placed Denzel Aberdeen in the starting point guard role, but even without Lowe, the Wildcats controlled the action from start to finish.
Kentucky struck early, racing to a 12–2 lead by the first media timeout. Eastern Illinois briefly answered with a 9–2 run to cut the margin to six, but the Wildcats quickly re-asserted control. They led by as many as 30 points in the half before two late Panther free throws sent Kentucky to the locker room with a 47–19 advantage.
Mouhamed Dioubate led the Wildcats in the opening period with 10 points and six rebounds. One of the loudest ovations of the night came when Trent Noah checked in for the first time since his ankle injury. Noah knocked down two early threes and finished the half with eight points.
Otega Oweh opened the second half with four quick points, and Kentucky followed with a 12–0 run to push the lead to 42. Eastern Illinois managed 34 points after halftime—far better than its 19-point first half—but the gap was far too large to threaten Kentucky.
Dioubate continued his strong play, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds while using his size and physicality to overwhelm the Panthers. Andrija Jelavic also turned in his best performance as a Wildcat, scoring 11 points and grabbing seven boards. His recent progress suggests he could become an important rotation piece moving forward.
In such a lopsided matchup, it’s difficult to gauge major improvements, but Kentucky’s defensive focus was noticeable. The Wildcats limited open looks, communicated better on screens, and handled the pick-and-roll with more discipline than in recent outings.
Kentucky will face a much stronger test on Tuesday when the Wildcats travel to Madison Square Garden to take on No. — Michigan State in another top-25 matchup. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN, and it should offer a clearer look at how Kentucky responds against a highly talented opponent.
