Cats roll to 100-60 win over Robert Morris in home opener
Kentucky freshman Daimion Collins slammed in two of his 14 points in the No. 10 Wildcats' 100-60 win over Robert Morris on Friday night at Rupp Arena. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky had the right antidote on Friday night for the post-Duke blues.
The No. 10 Wildcats put six players in double-figure scoring, got another 20-rebound effort from junior center/forward Oscar Tshiebwe, and a 12-assist, no-turnover line from junior point guard Sahvir Wheeler en route to a 100-60 feel-good romp over Robert Morris at Rupp Arena.
Grad senior wing Kellan Grady paced UK with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting night, including a 4-for-6 effort from beyond the arc. The Cats went 12 of 23 (52.2%) from long range on the night.
Freshman forward Daimion Collins and Tshiebwe scored 14 points apiece, grad senior guard Davion Mintz and junior forward Keion Brooks each had 13, and freshman guard TyTy Washington followed with 10.
Collins also shined on the defensive end of the floor, blocking four shots in a breakout performance more consistent with his lofty recruiting ranking than the brief showing he had against Duke earlier this week.
"You know, he and Bryce (Hopkins), I felt so bad for them up at New York because they were crushed. They wanted to play more," UK coach John Calipari said.
"These guys, at times, it's all the clutter around them -- you got to be this, you got to do that -- and most of it's based on shooting more balls and playing more minutes. I bet you not one person is in their ears saying, ‘Rebound better, defend, block shots.’ What does Daimion give to us? Length. ... We need him in the game. Now, even if it's 20 minutes, we need him to play."
Kentucky (1-1) shot 57.1% from the field and held a 43-24 rebounding advantage thanks to another monster effort from Tshiebwe, who also had 20 rebounds on Tuesday against Duke.
"This place has always been about those 3 (signs)," Calipari said, "but I think we're going to put somewhere else all those Rs. We're going to have R, R, R, R, R for him so he can look up and count. 'I'm gonna get five more.' He'll go get them."
"He goes every time (for the rebound)," Robert Morris coach Andrew Toole said. "The best rebounders go all the time, and he goes all the time... He's relentless in his pursuit, he has great instincts when the ball comes off the rim, and really anything that touches his hands becomes his. It's incredible to see him work with that kind of consistency on every shot. Very few guys are willing to do that."
The Cats never trailed in the game, led 46-30 at the half, and continued to build on the lead until the final horn. They put up 54 points in the second half, thanks in large part to a 39-point effort from their bench.
Robert Morris (0-2) was led by Michael Green III's 12 points and Kahliel Spear with 10. The Colonials were held to 37.7% from the field by the taller and more athletic Cats.
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In this edition of our Rapid Recap feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
GAME BALL:
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky -- We didn't get a chance to reward the junior transfer big man with a game ball after his 20-rebound effort on a losing night against Duke, so there's no way we can pass on him again tonight after two of the best rebounding games back to back in recent program history.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1st - Game for Kentucky over the 100-point plateau since a 107-73 win over UIC on Nov. 26, 2017.
6 - Cats in double figures for the first time since a 91-49 win over Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 8, 2019.
10 - Blocked shots by the Cats, including four by Daimion Collins.
12 - Three-point shots by UK on 23 attempts (52.2%)
22 - Offensive rebounds by Oscar Tshiebwe in two games to start the season is tied with Paul Millsap for the most by any D-I player in any 2-game span over the last 25 seasons.
42-4 - Kentucky's record in home openers at Rupp Arena, including a 13-0 mark under John Calipari.
QUOTABLE:
"I laughed, too, when he said he was going to get 20 rebounds a game (at Media Day). C'mon, Oscar.... But that dude's a beast. He's proven he can do it, and now we expect it." -- UK grad senior guard Davion Mintz on Oscar Tshiebwe's preseason goal of grabbing 20 rebounds a game.
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena against Mount St. Mary's. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
