Saturday, November 9
Lexington, Ky.
4 p.m.
Bucknell University
72
at
100
Kentucky
Men’s Basketball Falls at No. 23 Kentucky, 100-72
11/9/2024 6:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Koby Brea hit six of Kentucky's 13 3-pointers and scored a game-high 20 points to lead the No. 23 Wildcats to a 100-72 victory over Bucknell before 20,048 fans at Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon. Ian Motta matched his career high with 18 points and Josh Bascoe added 15 for the Bison, who came away from a grueling three-game opening-week road trip 2-1.
Brea, a Dayton transfer who led the nation in 3-point shooting (.498) last season, went 6-for-8 from the arc and is now 10-for-12 in two games this season. The Wildcats shot 48.1 percent overall, and when they did miss they grabbed 22 offensive rebounds on the way to a 57-35 edge on the glass. The Bison had outrebounded their first two opponents but were at a distinct size disadvantage in this one.
Bucknell shot 39.7 percent overall and hit 12 of 33 attempts from the arc, with eight different players hitting threes. Coming off the short turnaround after winning in overtime at Southern Indiana on Thursday, the Bison were hampered early in this one as center Noah Williamson, coming off a 32-point game, picked up two fouls in the first 2:03 and starting forward Ruot Bijiek was limited to four minutes due to injury.
Williamson finished with seven points and five rebounds in 24 minutes. Pip Ajayi filled in well with five points and a Bucknell career-best nine rebounds. Elvin Edmonds IV finished with eight points, and Achile Spadone and Brandon McCreesh scored five each.
The Bison had some bright moments throughout, but every time they made a little run the Wildcats seemed to answer with a 3-pointer. It was a 10-6 game after a Spadone 3-pointer, but treys by Brea and Kerr Kriisa keyed a 12-1 run, and the Wildcats led by double digits the rest of the way.
Motta's runner Bucknell capped a 7-0 run that was part of a larger 12-4 surge as the Bison closed within 35-23, but Kentucky hit back with seven straight of its own. Then after back-to-back threes by Motta and Edmonds made it 42-39, Brea hit a corner trey off a broken play and Lamont Butler followed with a layup to push the margin right back to 18 at 47-29 in the final minute of the half.
Bucknell got as close as 14 again in the second half after an Edmonds 3-pointer from the right wing, but again Brea answered with a trey followed by another one from Kriisa to stretch Kentucky's lead back to 20.
Next up for the Bison is their home opener on Wednesday against Mount St. Mary's. Tip time is 7 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion.
Brea, a Dayton transfer who led the nation in 3-point shooting (.498) last season, went 6-for-8 from the arc and is now 10-for-12 in two games this season. The Wildcats shot 48.1 percent overall, and when they did miss they grabbed 22 offensive rebounds on the way to a 57-35 edge on the glass. The Bison had outrebounded their first two opponents but were at a distinct size disadvantage in this one.
Bucknell shot 39.7 percent overall and hit 12 of 33 attempts from the arc, with eight different players hitting threes. Coming off the short turnaround after winning in overtime at Southern Indiana on Thursday, the Bison were hampered early in this one as center Noah Williamson, coming off a 32-point game, picked up two fouls in the first 2:03 and starting forward Ruot Bijiek was limited to four minutes due to injury.
Williamson finished with seven points and five rebounds in 24 minutes. Pip Ajayi filled in well with five points and a Bucknell career-best nine rebounds. Elvin Edmonds IV finished with eight points, and Achile Spadone and Brandon McCreesh scored five each.
The Bison had some bright moments throughout, but every time they made a little run the Wildcats seemed to answer with a 3-pointer. It was a 10-6 game after a Spadone 3-pointer, but treys by Brea and Kerr Kriisa keyed a 12-1 run, and the Wildcats led by double digits the rest of the way.
Motta's runner Bucknell capped a 7-0 run that was part of a larger 12-4 surge as the Bison closed within 35-23, but Kentucky hit back with seven straight of its own. Then after back-to-back threes by Motta and Edmonds made it 42-39, Brea hit a corner trey off a broken play and Lamont Butler followed with a layup to push the margin right back to 18 at 47-29 in the final minute of the half.
Bucknell got as close as 14 again in the second half after an Edmonds 3-pointer from the right wing, but again Brea answered with a trey followed by another one from Kriisa to stretch Kentucky's lead back to 20.
Next up for the Bison is their home opener on Wednesday against Mount St. Mary's. Tip time is 7 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion.
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