Photo by Vicki Graff
Call it ten straight for John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats following their 71-67 victory in Starkville over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Leading the charge for the Wildcats was once again star sophomore PJ Washington, scoring 23 points before fouling out with 1:18 left in the game. Washington finished the game as a +10 for Kentucky, the highest of any player.
Last week, the sophomore forward earned Co-SEC Player of the Week honors. Before Saturday’s contest, he’d averaged more than 20 points and nine rebounds per contest. While Washington only grabbed three boards in Kentucky’s win, his production from all areas of the basketball court have willed the Wildcats to 10-straight wins.
After struggling over his last two outings, starting point guard Ashton Hagans came out of the gate with a mission to find his teammates for easy baskets. Hagans dished out seven assists in the first half without committing a turnover, finishing the game with nine total assists. The rising freshman also poured in eight points, including a late free throw to increase Kentucky’s lead to four for a two-possession game.
Like Hagans, freshmen Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro are all players to receive SEC Freshman of the Week honors multiple times this season. While the two weren’t exactly consistent throughout Saturday’s game, both contributed with timely buckets down the stretch.
For the second straight game, Kentucky’s bigs were plagued by foul trouble late in the second half. As a result, EJ Montgomery once again answered the bell. Kentucky’s top recruit from last summer came in after Washington fouled out to immediately secure a significant offensive rebound that allowed the Wildcats to further run down the clock. Montgomery didn’t blow up the stat sheet but managed to grab seven key rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
Kentucky once again was superior inside, outscoring the Bulldogs by 10 in the painted area. They also won the battle on the glass, 35-28. Their dominance in the paint will be a point of emphasis next week, as Kentucky plays host to both 21st-ranked LSU and top-ranked Tennessee.
Tuesday’s tip against LSU is set for 7 P.M. EDT at Rupp Arena with Saturday’s tip against Tennessee slated for 8 P.M. EDT. On-air coverage for both games will be provided by 106.5 WKDZ radio.
