Lexington, Ky – November 4, 2024 – Michael Willis
It was the special night in the Bluegrass when Kentucky basketball season officially starts and Kentucky fans fill Rupp Arena to cheer on their Wildcats. Kentucky faced off against the Wright State Raiders which ended in a 103-62 victory for the Cats, and the first win for Mark Pope as the head coach of Kentucky.
The Cats came out strong to start the game and gained a double-digit lead with 15:22 left in the first half, 15-5. The Wildcats played with purpose throughout the first half, especially on defense and held the Raiders to only 27% shooting. Kentucky had five players who had 8-points that gave the Cats a 46-24 halftime lead.
It was another fast start for Kentucky to begin the second half. The Cats went on a 14-0 scoring run pushing the lead out of reach for good. Even when Cats were up nearly 40 points they still played with effort and made Wright State fight for the who 40 minutes. The Raiders ended the game shooting 35% and had 12 turnovers that led to 18 points for the Cats.
Led by Otega Oweh with 21 points, the Wildcat offense very efficient making 60% of their field goals. Oweh and Brea combined to make all seven of their three-point attempts. They also had an amazing assist/turnover ratio. Of the 39 made field goals, the Wildcats had 30 assists and only turned the ball over 7 times.
The player of the game might be Amari Williams who just recently returned to practice after an injury suffered in the prior exhibition game. Williams ended the game with 12 points and 13 rebounds. He would often start the fast break after he grabbed the rebound and pushed the ball down the court. For a 7-footer he does an excellent job handling the basketball.
There was nothing to complain about in Mark Pope’s first win as head coach. They played efficient on offense while also playing with energy on defense. It was fitting that his first margin of victory was 41, which was his number when he was a Wildcat.
Kentucky’s next game will be Saturday, Nov. 9th against Bucknell at 4 pm.
