The Rupp Arena atmosphere did not intimidate the Spartans. UNC-Greensboro sprinted out to an early 5-0 lead and kept the pressure on Kentucky. At halftime the Cats trailed 40-37.
It took ten minutes of second half struggles before Ashton Hagans injected energy back into the Wildcats. The freshman point guard’s And One in transition sparked a 15-4 run over the next seven minutes that ultimately decided the game.
Kentucky defeated the 2017 SoCon tournament champions 78-61. Reid Travis led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Tyler Herro kept pace with 18 points and Keldon Johnson finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, even though he missed significant time in the first half after he rolled his ankle.