Highlights, MVP, and Twitter reactions to Kentucky Wildcats’ thrilling win vs. UCF Knights

It wasn’t always smooth-sailing Wednesday night, but it was sure an exciting game. In a game where Kentucky Basketball led by as many as 13 points early on, the Wildcats and Central Florida Knights found themselves engaged in a back-and-forth grind-it-out battle inside Rupp Arena, where 40 minutes wasn’t enough.

In overtime, Kentucky showed efficiency and shot-making on offense to pull away from the Knights for a 90-76 win. The Cats were 6-8 from the field and 3-5 from 3-point range and 4-4 from the free-throw line.

Four Cats ended up in double figures, led by Milan Momcilovic’s 19 points. Mason Williams had 18 points, Malachi Moreno had 16 points and 13 rebounds in a double-double, and Alex Wilkins had 12 points, including the game-tying bucket in regulation and a key 3-pointer in overtime.

Highlights

Observations

• Malachi Moreno with a double-double at 16 points and 13 rebounds. Moreno also had eight assists.
• Four double-digit scorers, led by Milan Momcilovic’s 19 points
• Kentucky out-scoring Central Florida 14-5 in overtime
• Alex Wilkins hitting the game-tying floater in regulation and then a key 3-pointer in overtime
• Mason Williams with an impressive 18 points

First Half

Zoom Diallo got the scoring started with a bucket while being fouled. While he missed the and-one, it’s still promising for him to finish through contact right out of the gate. Both Kentucky and Central Florida were struggling from the field in the first four-minute segment. Following Diallo’s lid-lifter, Kentucky missed its next nine shots from the field, including its first five from 3-point range. Ousmane N’Diaye snapped the streak with a 3-pointer to give the Wildcats a 7-2 lead. While the Wildcats’ offense was struggling, their defense held the Knights to 1-9 from the field in the first 5:10 of the game.

The next segment saw the Cats pick it up offensively, making their next four shots, including a Milan Momcilovic 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring. It was part of a 7-0 run that stretched Kentucky’s lead to 14-5 with 11:50 remaining in the first half. Kentucky’s defense was keeping the Knights in check, holding them to 2-15 from the field.

Mason Williams continued his strong exhibition season with seven points on a perfect 3-3 shooting off the bench, including a 3-pointer. He seems to be in the flow of the game, which is great for a Freshman coming off the bench.

Kentucky got hot from beyond the arc as the first half unfolded, and it wasn’t just Williams or Momcilovic. Braydon Hawthorne hit two 3-pointers in a half where the Cats overall shot 6-17 from beyond the arc. The Cats shot 14-31 from the field and had 12 assists on those 14 made field goals. Six of those assists came from Malachi Moreno.

Kentucky led by as many as 13 points in the first half, 35-22 with 2:59 remaining. But the Knights closed the gap to 39-35 at halftime. Despite hitting five of their last seven shots, Kentucky still held the Knights to 10-32 overall shooting. Where the Knights did match the Cats was from beyond the arc, going 6-16 from 3-point range. Central Florida closed the half on a 13-4 run over the final 2:59.

Second Half

Momcilovic opened the second half with a straight-on 3-pointer to get the scoring started and extend Kentucky’s lead to 42-35. The Cats, though, then went into a cold spell, missing shots and turning the ball over multiple times. Moreno and Williams then complemented each other on inside-outside shooting to stretch the lead back to nine at 50-41 with 15:08 remaining.

Williams kept up his shooting in the second half, and the Cats were feeding off it. But then a lengthy scoring drought made it 57-52 Kentucky with 7:49 remaining. At that point, Kentucky was shooting just 7-21 from the floor and 3-10 from three-point range.

Justin McBride got Kentucky out of the cold spell with a corner 3-pointer to put the Cats up 61-54 with six minutes remaining. Moreno continued his high-impact game, crossing double digits in scoring and getting near a triple-double. Hawthorne showed off his defensive potential with a steal and a block on a 3-point attempt on back-to-back possessions. He’s making the most of the minutes he’s getting, playing hard and at full speed on every possession.

Those were the positives in the second half. Kentucky still needed to close the game out. They’d have to do it with the score tied 63-63 with four minutes remaining in regulation.

The two teams traded two-point shots, and the crowd came to life as if it were a regular-season game. Hawthorne had an emphatic block with 2:11 remaining to keep the score tied at 65-65. He then deflected the inbounds pass out of bounds. But the Knights converted an and-one to take a 68-65 lead. Moreno’s dunk cut it to 68-67 with 1:57 remaining.

Momcilovic drew a foul with 1:24 to play and made both free throws to give the Cats a 69-68 lead. It stayed that score for a minute before the Knights took the lead on two free throws at 70-69.

Kentucky then took its final timeout with 11.1 seconds remaining, and the shot clock was turned off. Central Florida also took its final timeout after seeing what Kentucky’s offensive setup looked like. Braydon Hawthorne then caught a high inbounds pass lobbed towards the basket and was fouled with 9.5 seconds remaining.

He missed both free throws, though, and the Cats fouled Central Florida with 5.9 seconds remaining. They made one of two for a 71-69 lead.

Alex Wilkins then floated coast-to-coast to tie the game with a floater as the buzzer sounded to tie the game at 71-7 and send it to overtime. .4 seconds were put back on the clock, but the Knights’ desperation heave from half-court was well wide of the basket to force overtime.

At the end of the second half, Kentucky was shooting 40.6 percent from the floor and 10-31 from 3-point range. They had 20 assists to 12 turnovers and were winning the rebound battle 42-41. Central Florida was shooting 33.9 percent from the field and 9-26 from 3-point range.

Overtime

How about that start for overtime? Mason Williams dove on the floor for a loose ball, shoveled it to Milan Momcilovic, who swished a corner 3 and then added a bucket on the next possession for a 76-71 Cats lead. Alex Wilkins hit a 3-pointer and two free throws to give Kentucky an 83-75 lead with 2:31 remaining. Momcilovic then hit a gorgeous fadeaway jumper to stretch the lead to 10 at 85-75 with less than two minutes remaining. Defensive stops, free throws, and offensive rebounds helped Kentucky close out the game and the exhibition season at 3-0.

Final score: Kentucky 90 — Central Florida 76.

Box Score

MVP: Malachi Moreno

He’s impacting the game in a lot of ways, as he did Wednesday night. It looks like he still hasn’t even scratched the surface of the force he can be in the frontcourt with the ball in his hands. But while that’s a work in progress, his rebounding and ball distribution were outstanding against Central Florida.

Moreno posted a double-double with an impressive 16 points and 13 rebounds. For good measure, he added eight rebounds and two blocks. Not only did Moreno show his physicality inside, with 10 of his 13 rebounds after halftime, but he is showing how great an all-around player he can be this season, already on a much higher level than he showed as a Freshman.

Kentucky vs. UCF Twitter Reactions

Mason Williams was drawing plenty of attention on Big Blue Nation Twitter after another fantastic showing, and fans were really into the game down the stretch even though it was just an exhibition.

Here are the best reactions to his performance and the Cats’ overall performance from Twitter during Wednesday night’s game.

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