The Kentucky Wildcats just put a 69-49 win on Travis Ford’s Little Rock Trojans in Friday night’s exhibition game, but man, that second half was where the real fireworks went off. After a seriously clunky and uneven first half, this Cats squad turned into an offensive inferno in the second, dropping 39 points and shooting over 50% from both the field and from deep. That’s the stuff we’ve been waiting for, people!
First Half Jitters, Second Half Fire
Look, the first half was a bit of a rollercoaster, no lie. The Cats started cold, only hitting four of their first ten shots. You saw some nerves, some rust, whatever you wanna call it. But even then, you saw flashes. Milan Momcilovic nailed his first three-pointer with just over 12 minutes left, pushing Kentucky’s lead to 15-4. Alex Wilkins, bless his heart, missed his first two shots, but then he got an old-fashioned and-one for an early 5-4 lead. Malachi Moreno was an absolute monster on the boards right from the jump, pulling down seven rebounds in the first half alone and adding two blocks. We went into the locker room up 30-19, leading by as many as 13 points, with Momcilovic and Zoom Diallo each bagging seven points. So yeah, not perfect, but the groundwork was there.
Momcilovic Goes Off, Moreno’s a Beast
Then came the second half, and HOLY SMOKES. That’s when Milan Momcilovic decided it was showtime. He banged in *three* more triples in the second half, finishing with four on the night and a sweet 16 points. You saw why they went after him so hard in the transfer portal. He just keeps coming! Not only that, he snatched seven rebounds and got a steal that directly led to his fourth three-pointer. Dude’s floor from beyond the arc is straight up ridiculous. It seems like he can make at least three to four three-point shots every game, and don’t sleep on his rebounding this season either.
But Momcilovic wasn’t the only star shining bright. Malachi Moreno, man, that dude looks JACKED. He was everywhere, impacting the game in several areas with six points, a game-high 11 rebounds (remember those seven in the first half?), three assists, and four blocks in just 26 minutes. Pure dominance. Mason Williams came off the bench and put in serious work, dropping 10 points, three assists, and three steals in 20 minutes. Go buy stock in that guy right now. Alex Wilkins, even with a little erratic play, brought that palpable energy we love, hitting two three-pointers and scoring eight points in the second half. And shoutout to Bradydon Hawthorne, who earned his minutes with seven points, a block, and a steal in 13 minutes. This team’s energy is something else!
Yeah, we had 19 turnovers to just 12 assists, and that’s something they’ll definitely clean up. But you can feel it, right? This team looks like they’re going to become a really connected team, and that palpable energy? It’s gonna lead to a lot of explosive offensive nights and a lot of really strong defensive stands. This was just an exhibition, but it showed us glimpses of what’s coming. Get ready.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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