LEXINGTON, Ky. For nearly 40 minutes, Kentucky's final exhibition game looked like it might end in a stunning upset. Then Alex Wilkins delivered the biggest shot of the preseason, and the Wildcats suddenly looked like a completely different team.
No. 23 Kentucky escaped regulation thanks to a dramatic game-tying floater by Wilkins with just 0.4 seconds remaining, then overwhelmed UCF 19-5 in overtime to claim a 90-76 victory Wednesday night at Rupp Arena.
Milan Momcilovic led Kentucky with 19 points, freshman Mason Williams added 18, and Malachi Moreno produced an outstanding all-around performance with 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
It was a victory that gave the Big Blue Nation plenty to celebrate, but it also delivered a reminder that Mark Pope's Wildcats have some things to clean up before the regular season begins.
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | OT | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 39 | 32 | 19 | 90 |
| UCF | 35 | 36 | 5 | 76 |
Kentucky looked comfortable early, using its size, perimeter shooting and ball movement to build a double-digit advantage.
Zoom Diallo opened the scoring, Ousmane N'Diaye connected from three-point range, and Momcilovic scored five early points to help Kentucky establish control.
The Wildcats received an immediate boost from their bench. Williams attacked the basket and knocked down a three, while Justin McBride and Braydon Hawthorne connected from beyond the arc. Kentucky built a 30-17 lead and later went ahead 35-22.
But UCF refused to go away. The Knights began finding openings against Kentucky's defense and closed the half with a 13-4 run. A comfortable Kentucky advantage had shrunk to just four points at the break.
Kentucky briefly appeared ready to put the game away in the second half. After UCF trimmed the margin to two points at 43-41, the Wildcats answered with seven straight points. Moreno scored inside, Williams drilled another three and Moreno finished a dunk to put UK ahead 50-41.
A Momcilovic fast-break basket eventually gave Kentucky a 57-47 advantage. Once again, however, the Knights fought back.
Dior Johnson, Isaiah Malone and Riley Kugel fueled UCF's comeback. The Knights used an 11-2 run to grab a 65-63 lead with 3:15 remaining. Kentucky tied it on a Williams jumper, but UCF quickly answered with a three-point play.
Moreno threw down a dunk, and Momcilovic made two free throws to put Kentucky back ahead 69-68 with 1:24 left. The lead did not last.
UCF's Arturo Dean connected on two free throws with 26 seconds remaining, giving the Knights a 70-69 advantage. Kentucky's Hawthorne then missed two free throws with under 10 seconds left. Malone split a pair at the other end to extend UCF's lead to 71-69 with 5.9 seconds remaining.
With Kentucky trailing by two and time running out, Wilkins attacked the lane and lofted a beautiful runner over the defense.
The shot dropped with 0.4 seconds remaining, tying the game at 71 and sending a relieved Rupp Arena crowd into a frenzy.
Whatever Kentucky had struggled to execute during regulation suddenly clicked into place during the extra five minutes.
Momcilovic opened overtime with a three-pointer and followed with another basket to give Kentucky a lead it would never surrender.
Williams added an important basket in the lane, and Wilkins knocked down a three-pointer to stretch the margin to six points. Wilkins followed with two free throws, while Momcilovic added another jumper as Kentucky pulled away.
Kentucky scored on its first seven overtime possessions and was nearly flawless offensively, shooting 6-for-8 from the field, 3-for-5 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
The Wildcats committed zero overtime turnovers and limited UCF to just five points, turning a heart-stopping finish into a convincing 14-point victory.
Moreno delivered arguably Kentucky's most complete performance of the exhibition season. He shot 6-for-10 from the field, grabbed six offensive rebounds and consistently created scoring opportunities for his teammates. His eight assists from the frontcourt were especially impressive, and his work inside helped Kentucky win the rebounding battle.
Kentucky's leading scorer came through when his team needed him most. Momcilovic scored seven points in overtime, including the opening five, helping Kentucky establish control of the extra period. He finished with a team-high 19 points and played nearly 39 minutes.
Williams continued to make a strong case for a significant role in Kentucky's rotation. The freshman provided efficient offense throughout the night, shooting 70 percent from the floor and 75 percent from beyond the arc. His timely baskets helped Kentucky both build its early lead and regain its footing during the late comeback.
The box score does not fully capture Wilkins' impact. His game-tying floater was the defining play of the night, and he followed it with five points in overtime. Wilkins gave Kentucky a chance to finish its exhibition schedule unbeaten, and the Wildcats took full advantage.
Ousmane N'Diaye: Eight points and seven rebounds, including two made three-pointers.
Braydon Hawthorne: Seven points, two made threes and a game-high four blocked shots.
Justin McBride: Six points on two made threes, three rebounds and two assists.
Zoom Diallo: Four points, six assists and two steals while helping direct the Kentucky offense.
| CATEGORY | KENTUCKY | UCF |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | 32-72 | 23-67 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 44.4% | 34.3% |
| Three-Pointers | 13-36 | 9-28 |
| Three-Point Percentage | 36.1% | 32.1% |
| Free Throws | 13-21 | 21-24 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 61.9% | 87.5% |
| Total Rebounds | 46 | 42 |
| Assists | 23 | 12 |
| Turnovers | 12 | 13 |
| Blocked Shots | 8 | 7 |
| Points in Paint | 30 | 20 |
| Bench Points | 31 | 14 |
| Second-Chance Points | 11 | 10 |
| Fast-Break Points | 12 | 13 |
Statistics from the official Kentucky-UCF exhibition box score.
The Wildcats received 31 points from their bench compared with just 14 for UCF. Williams, Hawthorne and McBride all contributed important offense. Having multiple players capable of producing points will be a major asset as the schedule gets tougher.
A big man flirting with a triple-double is not something fans see every night. Moreno demonstrated that he can score, rebound and facilitate the offense. His 14 rebounds and eight assists were two of the most impressive numbers in the game.
Kentucky held UCF to 34.3 percent shooting overall, which is encouraging. But the Wildcats repeatedly allowed the Knights to erase significant deficits. Maintaining defensive intensity and limiting momentum-shifting runs will be essential once the regular season begins.
Kentucky made just 13 of 21 free throws, shooting 61.9 percent from the line. The Wildcats also missed several crucial opportunities late in regulation. UCF, meanwhile, went 21-for-24. Kentucky cannot afford that kind of disparity in close regular-season games.
The biggest positive might be how Kentucky responded after nearly losing the game. The Wildcats could have unraveled after UCF's late surge. Instead, Wilkins came through with a clutch basket, and Kentucky played its best five minutes of the game when it mattered most. That resilience is worth building upon.
Scroll the tables horizontally on smaller screens to see all player statistics.
| PLAYER | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan Momcilovic | 38:44 | 7-17 | 3-9 | 2-2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 |
| Mason Williams | 29:05 | 7-10 | 3-4 | 1-3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| Malachi Moreno | 36:37 | 6-10 | 0-2 | 4-5 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16 |
| Alex Wilkins | 22:44 | 3-6 | 1-2 | 5-6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
| Ousmane N'Diaye | 23:39 | 3-10 | 2-9 | 0-0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Braydon Hawthorne | 18:35 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 1-4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Justin McBride | 21:21 | 2-5 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Zoom Diallo | 25:52 | 2-9 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Franck Kepnang | 4:44 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reece Potter | 3:39 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 225 | 32-72 | 13-36 | 13-21 | 46 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 90 |
| PLAYER | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dior Johnson | 27:18 | 6-12 | 1-1 | 9-9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| Isaiah Malone | 34:44 | 5-13 | 3-9 | 1-1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 14 |
| Riley Kugel | 28:29 | 5-8 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| Arturo Dean | 25:06 | 2-9 | 1-3 | 5-6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Lewis Walker | 14:26 | 1-6 | 1-2 | 3-4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| John Bol | 30:19 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Cayden Vasko | 17:54 | 1-4 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Carmelo Pacheco | 12:56 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Churchill Abass | 13:22 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Jahda Swann | 9:03 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jason Asemota | 10:16 | 0-6 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Elijah Hulsewe | 1:07 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 225 | 23-67 | 9-28 | 21-24 | 42 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 76 |
Box score abbreviations: MIN = minutes, FG = field goals made-attempted, 3PT = three-pointers made-attempted, FT = free throws made-attempted, REB = rebounds, AST = assists, STL = steals, BLK = blocks, TO = turnovers, PTS = points. Team rebound totals include unassigned team rebounds.
Kentucky closes its preseason with wins over Little Rock, Texas Tech and UCF. Now the games begin to count.
Kentucky's final exhibition game probably delivered more drama than Mark Pope wanted, but it may turn out to be one of the most valuable learning experiences of the preseason.
The Wildcats showed exciting offensive potential, with four players reaching double figures, excellent passing from Moreno and another impressive showing from Williams. Kentucky also demonstrated the ability to take over a game when its offense is clicking.
At the same time, allowing UCF to erase a 13-point first-half deficit and take the lead in the closing seconds exposed some real concerns. Defensive consistency, offensive droughts and free-throw shooting will all need attention.
The good news? Kentucky found a way to win, and its young roster gained valuable experience playing under pressure.
The preseason is over. The Wildcats are 3-0 in exhibitions. And the Big Blue Nation is ready for the real thing.