Another game, another night that Kentucky sophomore power forward PJ Washington dominated the opposition. On Tuesday, Washington and his fellow Wildcats made the trip down to Nashville to battle the Vanderbilt Commodores. The second-year talent led his team to a 87-52 blowout win by scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, both a game-high.
Like the Wildcats, Washington’s production has sky-rocketed as of late. Washington scored in double-figures for the fifth straight outing as Kentucky won their seventh consecutive game. His efforts were echoed by freshman point guard Ashton Hagans, who dished out eight assists to one turnover in the win. It was the fourth straight game Hagans handed out six or more dimes.
Kentucky’s defense was as efficient as they’d been all season, forcing the Commodores into 20 turnovers and holding them to just 15 first half points. Vanderbilt was able to shoot just 37% from the field, leading to more opportunities for Kentucky on the offensive end.
Head coach John Calipari saw a rather surprising performance from his team’s second-leading scorer on the night. Sophomore reserve Nick Richards scored 14 points and blocked four shots in the contest, exercising his length at both ends of the basketball court.
Keldon Johnson (11) and Tyler Herro (12) also contributed with double-digit scoring efforts.
The Wildcats will travel back to Lexington with another road test on deck. Kentucky will now prepare for a trip to Gainesville, FL where they’ll face the Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is set for 4 P.M. EDT with on-air coverage provided by 106.5 WKDZ radio.