Rob Dillingham Shines at the Blue/White Game at NKU
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – October 21, 2023 – Michael Willis
The Wildcats took to the hardwood at Northern Kentucky University tonight to play the annualBlue/White game. The second leg of the tour around Kentucky first began last year in Pikeville and has landed thisyear in Highland Heights as part of the charitable tour. The game ended with the Blue Team defeating the White Team 100 to 89.
The first half was The Rob Dillingham Show. Dillingham scored 24 first half points on 9–16 shooting. He led the Blue Team, who took a 54 to 41 lead into the half. Adou Thiero added an impressive 13 points to the Blue Team’s total, missing only one of his first half shots. The White team struggled to score the ball in the first half. Antonio Reeves uncharacteristically made only 3 of his 11 shots in first half. DJ Wagner led the White Team in scoring with 12 points in the first 20 minutes.
The second half started with Dillingham putting on a show once again for the BBN. He ended the game with 40 points, leading all scorers. Justin Edwards led the Blue Team with 26 points followed closely by Wagner with 25. The difference in assists and turnovers is what set the fate for the White team. The Blue Team passed for 18 assists while only committing 7 turnovers. The White team had only 10 assists while turning theball over 13 times. Rob Dillingham’s pesky defense grabbed 4 steals contributing to the White Team’s turnovers. As a combined unit the teams shot 46 three-pointers showing that perhaps Calipari will embrace a modern offense this season that the fans have been wanting to see.
It was an off night for AntonioReeves from behind the arc, making only 1 of his 9 attempts; however, no one expects the trend tocontinue after his great shooting last season. Justin Edwards’ athleticism showed in his many put back dunks and his ability to get in the lane and finish through contact. Edwards was one of only two players to end the night with a double-double, scoring 26 points and 10 rebounds. The other double-double belonged to Tre Mitchell, who gained 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
Overall, the Wildcats looked competitive on both teams and gave the crowd a good showing. The line-ups will look different when Zvonimir Ivisic, Ugonna Onyenso, and Aaron Bradshaw get back in the rotation. However, let’s hope they don’t lose the competitiveness and fast-paced offense that has been on display since the Canada games.
The Cats will play their next game as an exhibition game against Friday Oct. 27 against Georgetown College and tips at 7 pm.
