NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Graham Ike scored a season-high 28 points and had 10 rebounds as No. 11 Gonzaga routed No. 18 Kentucky 94-59 Friday night on a neutral court that felt much more like Rupp Arena South with Wildcats faithful filling Brigestone Arena, home to the NHL's Nashville Predators.
Gonzaga (8-1) notched its third Top 25 win this season and third over a Southeastern Conference team, all by double digits. The Bulldogs had been off since their loss to then-No. 7 Michigan on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas.
Braden Huff added 20 points for Gonzaga, and
Adam Miller and
Braeden Smith each had 11.
Gonzaga never trailed, scoring the first seven points. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 19-2 lead and extended it to 25 points. Kentucky trailed 43-20 at halftime.
Gonzaga kept padding its lead in the second half. When Huff's bucket with 3:57 left made it 86-53, fans headed for the exits. The Bulldogs led by 37 inside the final minute.
Kentucky (5-4) got guard Jaland Lowe back from an injured right shoulder that kept him out of the past five games. He came off the bench as the Wildcats lost their second straight and third of five. They fell 67-64 to No. 16 North Carolina on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats missed their first 10 shots, seven outside the arc. They kept shooting away, and fans roared when Denzel Aberdeen finally sank Kentucky's first 3-pointer with 11:04 left to make it 19-5.
Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 16 points and Collin Chandler scored 11.
Up next
Gonzaga hosts North Florida on Sunday.
Kentucky hosts North Carolina Central on Tuesday night.
Newspaper Box Score
Gonzaga vs Kentucky
12/05/25 6:00 pm at Nashville, TN
At Nashville, TN
GONZAGA 94, KENTUCKY 59
GONZAGA (8-1,0-0 WCC)
IKE, Graham 11-18 5-6 28; HUFF, Braden 9-11 2-3 20; SMITH, Braeden 4-7 2-3
11; MILLER, Adam 4-6 0-0 11; SAINT SUPERY, Mario 2-5 0-0 6; WARLEY, Jalen
2-3 2-2 6; INNOCENTI, Emmanuel 2-2 0-0 5; GRANT-FOSTER, Tyon 1-5 2-2 4;
VENTERS, Steele 1-4 0-0 3; DIAGNE, Ismaila 0-0 0-0 0; FOGLE, Davis 0-2 0-0
0. Totals 36-63 13-16 94.
KENTUCKY (5-4,0-0 SEC)
Otega Oweh 3-7 9-10 16; Collin Chandler 3-8 3-4 11; Jasper Johnson 2-7 3-4
8; Denzel Aberdeen 3-12 1-3 8; Brandon Garrison 2-3 0-0 5; Malachi Moreno
2-6 1-1 5; Trent Noah 1-3 2-2 5; Jaland Lowe 0-5 1-2 1; Andrija Jelavic 0-6
0-0 0; Kam Williams 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 16-60 20-26 59.
Gonzaga....................... 43 51 - 94
Kentucky...................... 20 39 - 59
3-point goals--Gonzaga 9-18 (MILLER, Adam 3-5; SAINT SUPERY, Mario 2-4; IKE,
Graham 1-1; SMITH, Braeden 1-2; VENTERS, Steele 1-4; INNOCENTI, Emmanuel
1-1; GRANT-FOSTER, Tyon 0-1), Kentucky 7-34 (Collin Chandler 2-7; Otega Oweh
1-3; Brandon Garrison 1-1; Denzel Aberdeen 1-4; Jasper Johnson 1-4; Trent
Noah 1-3; Andrija Jelavic 0-6; Kam Williams 0-3; Jaland Lowe 0-2; Malachi
Moreno 0-1). Fouled out--Gonzaga-None, Kentucky-Brandon Garrison.
Rebounds--Gonzaga 43 (IKE, Graham 10), Kentucky 31 (Otega Oweh 5).
Assists--Gonzaga 24 (INNOCENTI, Emmanuel 6; SMITH, Braeden 6), Kentucky 12
(Otega Oweh 5). Total fouls--Gonzaga 18, Kentucky 17. Technical
fouls--Gonzaga-None, Kentucky-None. A-18507
