Six different players, led by freshman Malachi Moreno’s double-double, scored in double figures for the No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats Friday night, as they blew out the visiting Valparaiso Beacons 107-59 to move to 2-0 to start the season.
Kentucky’s offense raced out of the starting gates, using a 13-0 run to build a lead as large as 36 points in the first half. Their largest lead ballooned to 48 points late in the second half.
Moreno led the Wildcats with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while also dishing out three assists and blocking a shot in 21 minutes. He was joined in double-digit scoring by Otega Oweh (15), Mouhamed Dioubate (14), Collin Chandler (14), Brandon Garrison (12) and Denzel Aberdeen (12).
Kentucky had 27 assists on the night and only turned the ball over six times.
The Wildcats led 58-26 at halftime, with nine different players scoring for the Wildcats in the first 20 minutes. Kentucky also had 16 assists to just four turnovers, and its defense held Valparaiso to just 26.3% shooting in the first half.
Chandler hit three three-pointers in the first half for Kentucky, while also pulling down three rebounds.
The Beacons struggled throughout the night to generate offensive flow.
Thwarted by strong on-ball pressure from the Wildcats’ defense, the Beacons dished out just 11 assists and turned the ball over 10 times. Valparaiso shot just 28.4% from the field, including just 8 for 34 from three-point range.
After pulling down 38 rebounds in its season-opening win Tuesday, including 16 offensive rebounds, Valparaiso was overwhelmed by the Wildcats’ height and physicality on the glass and got out-rebounded 50-34.
Every one of the 10 players who played at least 15 minutes for Kentucky Friday had a +/- of at least 15. Dioubate led the Wildcats with a +/- of 33.
Kentucky’s offense was efficient, shooting 54.4% from the field, including 11 of 28 from three-point range. The Wildcats were also 22 of 26 from the free-throw line
The Wildcats will need that offensive efficiency next Tuesday night when they travel to take on the No. 11 Louisville Cardinals, who have scored over 100 points in each of their first two games.
