The Kentucky Wildcats wasted no time finding their rhythm in a – blowout win over the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. After a sluggish 1-1 start, head coach John Calipari’s tenth-ranked team put on a statement performance in their second game at Rupp Arena.
While the Wildcats netted 96 points, their defense was just as spot-on as their offense. They forced 13 first half turnovers and 20 for the entire game. They also held the Fighting Hawks to just 39.6% shooting from the floor.
Their offense seemed to feed off of their defense, scoring 23 points in transition and shooting 53.2% from the field in the contest.
After struggling through his first two games, sophomore PJ Washington had his coming out party. Washington put on a three point shooting clinic, making four out of five attempts en route to his 25 points. He also added seven rebounds.
Tyler Herro was another candidate due to break out, being held scoreless in Kentucky’s win over Southern Illinois. The freshman erupted for 18 points and picked off five passes as well.
Keldon Johnson continued to be Mr. Consistent for the Wildcats, scoring 12 points and adding 10 rebounds for the double-double. Overall, no other Wildcat has been close to having the impact Johnson has had thus far.
Quade Green’s distribution of the basketball also continued off of Friday night’s win, as he dished out five assists while adding six points.
The team clicked for a collective 40 minutes for the first time this season. Calipari’s Wildcats will return to action on Sunday night when they host the Virginia Military Institute Keydets at 6 P.M. EDT.