The Kentucky Wildcats faced down an early challenge from the Morehead St. Eagles, outscoring their in-state challengers 49-39 in the second half and winning late, 81-70. It was 32-31 as the two teams headed to the locker room and tied at 48 with just over 13 minutes to go, but Kentucky took advantage of free-throw opportunities and slowly put the game away.
No. 8 Kentucky vs. Morehead State final score: Wildcats take advantage of fouls in 81-70 win
The Morehead Stage Eagles were behind one at the half, but committing 20 of 28 second-half fouls cost them the game.
Andy Lyons
Archie Goodwin drove the Wildcats, shooting 8 of 13 from the floor and 12 of 17 from the line, ending the night with 28 points and six rebounds. Nerlens Noel led the team in rebounds, grabbing 11 boards. Kentucky managed to shoot 51.1 percent in the face of Morehead's defensive pressure, while holding the Eagles to just 36.8 percent.
Kentucky’s main advantage came through disciplined play, as they committed only 12 fouls to Morehead’s 32. That translated into a 17-point advantage on foul shots, well ahead of Kentucky’s margin of victory.
Milton Chavis was the leading scorer for Morehead, picking up 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting.
With the win, Kentucky improves to 3-1 and Morehead drops to 3-2. The Wildcats next play the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, while the Eagles will next face the Norfolk State Spartans.
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