The top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats do not have one standout star, which calls for a team effort and different contributors from game to game. It was the 6-foot-10 freshman Trey Lyles who stepped up with a career-high 18 points in a 74-56 win over Mississippi State. The win moves the Wildcats' perfect record to 28-0.
Lyles also added 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and a blocked shot. Aaron Harrison scored 16 for the only undefeated team in the country. Their 28-game winning streak is the 2nd-longest in school history, trailing just the 32-game win streak from 1953 to 1955. It is the longest in a single season for the school, topping the 27-game streak in the 1995-96 season.
The Wildcats now have the 4th-longest streak in SEC history, and hold 3 of the 5 longest streaks in conference history.
The Wildcats pulled away in the second half, capped off by a thunderous dunk from Karl-Anthony Towns. The freshman Lyles shot 7-of-12 from the field, helping him bounce back after missing 3 games earlier this month with an illness.
Mississippi State got 14 points from from Fred Thomas and 10 from Craig Sword, but that was not enough to stop Kentucky's pursuit of perfection. The Bulldogs have now lost 8 in a row. After trailing by as many as 14, Mississippi State pulled within 6 in the first half, and 4 in the second half.
The Wildcats are now 15-0 in conference play and will continue their pursuit of perfection when they host Arkansas on Saturday. The struggling Bulldogs fell to 12-16 overall, 5-10 in conference play, and will visit South Carolina Saturday night.
Lyles also added 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and a blocked shot. Aaron Harrison scored 16 for the only undefeated team in the country. Their 28-game winning streak is the 2nd-longest in school history, trailing just the 32-game win streak from 1953 to 1955. It is the longest in a single season for the school, topping the 27-game streak in the 1995-96 season.
The Wildcats now have the 4th-longest streak in SEC history, and hold 3 of the 5 longest streaks in conference history.
The Wildcats pulled away in the second half, capped off by a thunderous dunk from Karl-Anthony Towns. The freshman Lyles shot 7-of-12 from the field, helping him bounce back after missing 3 games earlier this month with an illness.
Mississippi State got 14 points from from Fred Thomas and 10 from Craig Sword, but that was not enough to stop Kentucky's pursuit of perfection. The Bulldogs have now lost 8 in a row. After trailing by as many as 14, Mississippi State pulled within 6 in the first half, and 4 in the second half.
The Wildcats are now 15-0 in conference play and will continue their pursuit of perfection when they host Arkansas on Saturday. The struggling Bulldogs fell to 12-16 overall, 5-10 in conference play, and will visit South Carolina Saturday night.
