Cats finish strong in "salty" clash with Georgia State
Kentucky's Otega Oweh (00) battled for a loose ball against Georgia State's Malachi Brown in Friday's game at Rupp Arena. (Photo by Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor
@JDrumUK
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- With each additional game that Kentucky flirts with the century mark and launches a barrage of 3-pointers, Mark Pope knows that opponents will seek ways to try to throw the No. 8 Wildcats off their game.
Heavy underdog Georgia State brought a physical mindset to Rupp Arena and used it to hang within eight of Kentucky with just over 13 minutes remaining in the game, but when the play got a bit too rough, it was the Cats who answered the bell.
A flagrant foul absorbed by Kentucky center Amari Williams and a scuffle that led to multiple technical fouls seemed to spark the Cats, who outscored GSU 44-23 the rest of the way en route to a 105-76 victory.
"I thought it was a great night of basketball overall, all the saltiness and that whole deal," Pope said. "It was a really physical (Georgia State) team, a good team. It was their third game in four nights, a really commendable effort by them, but I thought our guys responded the right way.
"As things got a little more intense, I thought our guys really pulled together, and that's so beautiful to see that as a coach."
(CONT) ...
kentucky.rivals.com
Kentucky's Otega Oweh (00) battled for a loose ball against Georgia State's Malachi Brown in Friday's game at Rupp Arena. (Photo by Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor
@JDrumUK
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- With each additional game that Kentucky flirts with the century mark and launches a barrage of 3-pointers, Mark Pope knows that opponents will seek ways to try to throw the No. 8 Wildcats off their game.
Heavy underdog Georgia State brought a physical mindset to Rupp Arena and used it to hang within eight of Kentucky with just over 13 minutes remaining in the game, but when the play got a bit too rough, it was the Cats who answered the bell.
A flagrant foul absorbed by Kentucky center Amari Williams and a scuffle that led to multiple technical fouls seemed to spark the Cats, who outscored GSU 44-23 the rest of the way en route to a 105-76 victory.
"I thought it was a great night of basketball overall, all the saltiness and that whole deal," Pope said. "It was a really physical (Georgia State) team, a good team. It was their third game in four nights, a really commendable effort by them, but I thought our guys responded the right way.
"As things got a little more intense, I thought our guys really pulled together, and that's so beautiful to see that as a coach."
(CONT) ...
Cats finish strong in "salty" clash with Georgia State
Cats tangle with Panthers.
