The Kentucky Wildcats cruised to a 69-49 exhibition win over the Little Rock Trojans on Friday night, overcoming a clunky first half with a dominant second-half offensive surge, A Sea Of Blue reported. Milan Momcilovic led the charge with 16 points, hitting four 3-pointers, while Malachi Moreno dominated the boards with 11 rebounds and three blocks.
A Clunky First Half Gives Way to Second-Half Offense
Kentucky started the game cold from the field, making just four of their first 10 shots. Despite the early offensive stumbles, the Wildcats’ defense kept them afloat, holding Little Rock to just 7-31 shooting from the floor and 1-11 from beyond the arc in the opening twenty minutes. The Cats out-rebounded the Trojans 24-22 in the first half and took a 30-19 lead into the locker room.
Bluegrass Basketball is Back 🏆😌 pic.twitter.com/MQvZAEdOPT
— https://x.com/BigBlueBud/status/2111197489869312202
The offensive flow improved dramatically after halftime. Kentucky shot over 50% from the field and from 3-point range during a 39-point second-half explosion. The team finished the night shooting 8/15 from beyond the arc in the second half alone.
Momcilovic and Moreno Anchor the Effort
Milan Momcilovic proved to be a lethal weapon from long range. After a quiet first half, he caught fire by sinking three triples after the break to finish with 16 points and seven rebounds. His performance included a stellar sequence where he stole the ball with 5:34 remaining, executed a behind-the-back dribble, and calmly drilled a pull-up 3-pointer in traffic.
Meanwhile, Malachi Moreno anchored the frontcourt with a physical presence, grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds—seven of which came in the first half—alongside six points, three assists, and four blocks in 26 minutes.
Backcourt Contributions and Turnovers
The backcourt rotation showcased several bright spots for Mark Pope’s squad. Zoom Diallo led the team with five assists, orchestrating the offense alongside Alex Wilkins, who contributed eight points and two second-half 3-pointers. Mason Williams added 10 points, three assists, and three steals in 20 minutes off the bench, while Braydon Hawthorne chipped in seven points, a block, and a steal in 13 minutes.
Moreno has really improved around the basket with his rebounding, especially on defensive end
— https://x.com/keithtaylor21/status/2111239422595551472
Ball security remains an area for improvement. Kentucky racked up 19 turnovers against just 12 assists, an issue the team will need to clean up ahead of the regular season.
