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MILWAUKEE — Kentucky basketball capped Friday night on the right side of the scoreboard.
Not a shocking result for the winningest program in the history of college hoops.
But it's not something it could say two of the past three seasons at the end of its first game of the NCAA Tournament. Yet on this nght, in the first go-round in March Madness under coach Mark Pope, third-seeded UK walked away victorious, dispatching 14-seed Troy, 76-57, at Fiserv Forum.
The Wildcats led at the half by eight, 35-27. Then, Koby Brea hit back-to-back 3s to kick off the second-half scoring for Kentucky (23-11) — and after that, Pope's group was off to the races. The 19-point UK win brings Troy's season to a close; the Trojans end the 2024-25 campaign with a 23-11 overall record.
Kentucky now can look ahead to the second round of the Midwest Region. The Wildcats just don't know who their opponent is. Yet. That will be determined later Friday, as 6-seed Illinois takes on 11-seed Xavier.
Here are observations from Kentucky's first-round NCAA victory:
Andrew Carr began the night making everything he saw: 5 for 5 overall (including a pair of 3s) and a free throw.
But with 6:18 to play, he finally misfired on a shot at the rim.
Even so, it was a stellar night for the 6-foot-11, fifth-year senior forward, who has battled back issues in the second half of the season. He wrapped up Friday's win with 13 points, two rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 30 minutes of play.
Otega Oweh has been UK's most reliable scorer all season. No surprise, then, that remained the case Friday. He finished with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 aim at the free-throw line. He also grabbed eight rebounds.
Notably, this was his first-ever game in March Madness.
The first two seasons of his college career, spent at Oklahoma, the program failed to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
Troy's star guard, Tayton Conerway, was the Sun Belt Conference's Player of the Year. He was the Most Outstanding Player of the league tournament.
And, for most of Friday night's game, he wasn't much of a factor.
He ended with 12 points, making less than half his attempts from the field (5 for 12). Conerway conspiciously struggled beyond the 3-point arc, where he missed six of his seven tries.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky vs Troy in 2025 March Madness: Otega Oweh, others propel Cats
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Not a shocking result for the winningest program in the history of college hoops.
But it's not something it could say two of the past three seasons at the end of its first game of the NCAA Tournament. Yet on this nght, in the first go-round in March Madness under coach Mark Pope, third-seeded UK walked away victorious, dispatching 14-seed Troy, 76-57, at Fiserv Forum.
The Wildcats led at the half by eight, 35-27. Then, Koby Brea hit back-to-back 3s to kick off the second-half scoring for Kentucky (23-11) — and after that, Pope's group was off to the races. The 19-point UK win brings Troy's season to a close; the Trojans end the 2024-25 campaign with a 23-11 overall record.
Kentucky now can look ahead to the second round of the Midwest Region. The Wildcats just don't know who their opponent is. Yet. That will be determined later Friday, as 6-seed Illinois takes on 11-seed Xavier.
Here are observations from Kentucky's first-round NCAA victory:
Kentucky forward Andrew Carr has near-perfect night
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Andrew Carr began the night making everything he saw: 5 for 5 overall (including a pair of 3s) and a free throw.
But with 6:18 to play, he finally misfired on a shot at the rim.
Even so, it was a stellar night for the 6-foot-11, fifth-year senior forward, who has battled back issues in the second half of the season. He wrapped up Friday's win with 13 points, two rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 30 minutes of play.
UK guard Otega Oweh has sparkling NCAA debut
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Otega Oweh has been UK's most reliable scorer all season. No surprise, then, that remained the case Friday. He finished with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 aim at the free-throw line. He also grabbed eight rebounds.
Notably, this was his first-ever game in March Madness.
The first two seasons of his college career, spent at Oklahoma, the program failed to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
Wildcats keep Trojans star Tayton Conerway in check
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Troy's star guard, Tayton Conerway, was the Sun Belt Conference's Player of the Year. He was the Most Outstanding Player of the league tournament.
And, for most of Friday night's game, he wasn't much of a factor.
He ended with 12 points, making less than half his attempts from the field (5 for 12). Conerway conspiciously struggled beyond the 3-point arc, where he missed six of his seven tries.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky vs Troy in 2025 March Madness: Otega Oweh, others propel Cats
Continue reading...
