LEXINGTON – Michael Willis – Bluegrass Sports Nation
Quaintance made his Rupp Arena debut in a 99–85 Kentucky victory over Bellarmine in the Wildcats’ final game before conference play begins. Kentucky fans had high hopes after the Cats’ win over St. John’s, a game sparked by Quaintance’s performance. However, fans didn’t get to see much of the freshman, as he played just eight minutes and scored four points. It was evident that Mark Pope felt his team didn’t need Jaland Lowe or Quaintance to defeat the much smaller Bellarmine squad.
Kentucky’s offense was stagnant against Bellarmine’s zone defense early, causing the Cats to fall behind 5–1. The Wildcats eventually found open shooters and regained the lead with an 8–0 run. The Knights stuck around, tying the game at 17 with 11:29 remaining in the first half. Bellarmine continued to give Kentucky trouble, but the Cats took a 46–38 lead into halftime after a late three-pointer by Jasper Johnson.
The Wildcats turned the ball over eight times in the first half, preventing them from extending their lead. Bellarmine capitalized with 13 points off those turnovers. The Knights also made all 10 of their free-throw attempts in the half, which helped keep them in the game.
Kentucky steadily increased its lead in the second half, led by Mouhamed Dioubate, who scored eight points in the first six minutes after the break. The game was put out of reach when Kam Williams knocked down three consecutive three-pointers, pushing the Cats’ lead to 18. Kentucky’s defense relaxed late, but the Wildcats closed out the 99–85 win.
Williams’ eight three-pointers gave him a career-high 26 points in just 22 minutes. Dioubate finished with 20 points and five rebounds while contributing on the defensive end with three blocks and two steals. Otega Oweh was only 2 rebounds away from a triple-double with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Without Jaland Lowe and with Quaintance limited, it wasn’t a polished performance. Kentucky scored 99 points despite their absences, but defensively the Cats struggled. Bellarmine’s 85 points were surprising given how well Kentucky had defended in its previous two games.
The Cats will need to improve defensively when they hit the road to face Alabama in their SEC opener. Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance are expected to see increased minutes in the Jan. 3 matchup in Tuscaloosa.