Photo by Vicki Graff
Saturday night in the Bluegrass lived up to the week-long hype of Kentucky vs. Kansas. Rupp Arena was packed, stars showed up with huge games and Kentucky came out with another victory. The Wildcats trailed at halftime but rallied back with an efficient second half to down the Jayhawks, 71-63.
Kentucky had a two-man wrecking crew up front, as PJ Washington and Reid Travis both recorded double-doubles.
Washington led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds while Travis wasn’t far behind, scoring 18 and grabbing 12 boards.
Kentucky’s play in the painted area would not be denied, especially with Kansas’s star center Udoka Azubuike on the bench with a season-ending hand injury.
While the starting duo of Kentucky’s big men showed out, so did freshman sensation Ashton Hagans. John Calipari’s point guard scored 12 points and handed out seven assists in the win.
He was also a force on defense with three steals and picking up his man 90 feet from the basket.
Kansas put up a contested, well-fought effort until Kentucky’s game plan eventually wore out the Jayhawks.
The win comes at arguably the best time, as the Wildcats were previously winners of five straight and now can further justify their status among the best teams in the country.
Next week, Kentucky will head to Nashville and Gainesville for their road matchups against Vanderbilt and Florida.
