IT WAS a one-sided affair in the NCAAM on Wednesday morning, as the Kentucky Wildcats handed the LSU Tigers a 31-point loss in a blowout result with several strong contributors from the winning side.

The Wildcats are gearing up for a big March Madness campaign, and came into the clash with 18 wins from 28 games, good enough to be seeded 19th. On the other hand, the Tigers had lacked consistency throughout the 2024/25 season, and had won just 14 of their 29 games, needing a big upset if they were to walk away from Rupp Arena with a win.

The Wildcats made their intentions known early, storming out to a double-digit on the back of some marvellous work on both ends of the floor. The game was essentially decided by half time, with Kentucky leading 50-23 in a dominant display. Although LSU did lift in the second half and stemmed the flow as best it could, it was to no avail as the Wildcats cruised home to a big win.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be casting an eye over how the key players performed in the match, as some of the NCAAM’s best and brightest continue to display their craft on a nightly basis.

Kentucky Wildcats (95) def. LSU Tigers (64)

Wildcats:

#00 Otega Oweh

Oweh led the way for the Wildcats in the big win over the Tigers, pouring in a game-high points total and looking as dangerous as ever with ball in hand. The guard was his usual attacking self, looking to drive inside whenever he could and was not afraid of the opposition’s big men in his pursuit of baskets. Oweh was extremely efficient with ball in hand, knocking down nine of his 11 attempts from the field, and his relentless pressure on the hoop resulted in plenty of drawn contact. At the free throw line, he went a perfect 6/6 to finish the game with 24 points alongside eight boards in yet another strong performance from the Junior.

#10 Brandon Garrison

One of two Wildcats to come off the bench and make an immediate impact, Garrison made the most of his 21 minutes of court time and was one of the standouts for Kentucky. He checked into the game six minutes into the first half, and made his mark straight away with a three-pointer, in what was reflective of what was to come for Garrison and the Wildcats. He was heavily involved in the offence for the Wildcats, creating his own shot and generating great looks for others. Garrison finished the game with 15 points off the bench on 6/12 shooting from the field to go with four assists, three steals and two rebounds in a productive outing.

#15 Ansley Almonor

It was another excellent scoring performance from Almonor off the bench, helping generate plenty of early offence for his side and playing a crucial role in getting the Wildcats out to a quick double-digit lead. He worked extremely hard off the ball to get open, often setting quick screens and rolling to the basket to combine extremely well with his guards. A highlight came in the form of an athletic finish out of the pick and roll, making the wayward pass look extremely good to catch the ball while in mid-air and acrobatically laying the ball in. Almonor ended up pouring in 15 points on a remarkably efficient 6/7 shooting from the field and 3/4 shooting from behind the arc, continuing an impressive campaign from the forward.

Tigers:

#6 Robert Miller III

In a tough day at the office for the Tigers, it was Miller III who delivered a mature performance to help spark a second-half showing of resilience from his side. He was one of few Tigers players to show something on the offensive end in the first half, always looking to create and poke holes in a tough Kentucky defence. He knocked down some crucial shots to stop the Wildcats’ momentum in the second half, and was not swayed by the ever-growing deficit on the scoreboard. In the end, the Freshman posted a team-high 15 points on 7/11 shooting as well as six rebounds in an encouraging showing.