Kentucky gets past Utah Valley 83-74, with limited roster.
After the loss at home to Evansville, Kentucky gets a win against Utah Valley 83-74, however it did not come easily. The Wildcats had a slow start, going into the half at 35-27. They came out after the half, pulling out to a significant lead, but then allowed the Utah Valley Wolverines to get back in the game and kept UK fans on the edge of their seats.
The Kentucky Wildcats entered the game against Utah Valley with only 7 scholarship players available. EJ Montgomery has been sidelined for the majority of the season, Dontaie Allen hasn’t played at all, Immanuel Quickley suffered a chest injury in practice, and Ashton Hagans still isn’t full strength.
Even while not being one hundred percent, Ashton Hagans bounced back with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Nick Richards had another double-double, putting up 21 points and 10 rebounds. Nate Sestina had a game-high 12 rebounds while adding 8 points. As a team, UK shot an incredible 91.5% from the free throw line over 34 attempts, while shooting 8.3% from three on 12 attempts.
Nick Richards had a strong showing, shooting jump-hooks, and drilling jumpshots from the baseline, prompting Coach Cal to suggest he may be their best shooter from that range. He also show spurts of defensive greatness, as you can see him locking down the Utah Valley guard on the perimeter. Check out the video below to see for yourself.
