Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. (11/02/2026) — The Kentucky Wildcats turned an early deficit into a rout Monday night at Rupp Arena, burying the Manhattan Jaspers 85-57 behind a barrage of long-range shooting and a 24-point night from Milan Momcilovic.
Kentucky shot 53 percent from the field and 39 percent from three in a game that featured 19 made three-pointers between the two teams, and the Wildcats' 48-22 halftime lead removed any drama long before the final horn.
How It Happened
Manhattan threw the first punch. Ben Tweedy drilled a 24-foot three off a Josiah Sabino assist at the 15:54 mark of the first half to put the Jaspers up 9-4, and Ben Pearce stretched the lead to 12-7 with a 26-footer at 13:37. For eight minutes, the visitors looked comfortable on Kentucky's home floor.
Then the Wildcats found their range. Alex Wilkins answered with a 25-foot three at 12:04 to cut the deficit to 13-12, and Kentucky never looked back. Justin McBride and Mason Williams hit back-to-back threes — both assisted by Braydon Hawthorne — inside a 34-second span to flip the score to 18-13, fueling a 13-0 Kentucky run that permanently changed the game's complexion.
From there the first half became a showcase. Wilkins connected again from 25 feet at 8:55 to make it 25-15, Momcilovic caught fire with threes at 7:21, 3:11 and 1:42, and Ousmane N'Diaye punctuated the half with a dunk off a Wilkins feed with 12 seconds left. Kentucky walked into the locker room up 48-22 after outscoring Manhattan 44-13 following the Jaspers' early lead.
The second half offered more of the same. Momcilovic opened it with a 26-foot three just 21 seconds in, Malachi Moreno threw down a dunk off another Wilkins assist at 15:29 to make it 61-29, and Franck Kepnang and Hawthorne added dunks of their own as the lead swelled to 37. Manhattan found some rhythm late — Asier Miguel, Dusan Eric (twice) and the Jaspers' bench combined for a string of threes in the final five minutes — but the game had long been decided. DaSean Lewis closed the scoring at the free-throw line with 40 seconds left.
Turning Point
The 13-0 Kentucky run midway through the first half decided this one. Manhattan led 13-12 after Pearce and Tweedy had the Jaspers' offense humming, but the McBride and Williams threes — both created by Hawthorne — ignited a stretch in which Kentucky scored on seemingly every possession. By the time Wilkins hit his second three at 8:55, a one-point deficit had become a double-digit lead, and Manhattan never threatened again. The game featured just one lead change and one tie, both buried in those opening minutes.
Star of the Game
Momcilovic was the headliner, pouring in a game-high 24 points with five rebounds while accounting for six of Kentucky's three-pointers — including a 28-footer at the 5:00 mark of the second half that pushed the lead to 83-44. His three triples in the final seven-plus minutes of the first half broke the game open.
He had plenty of help. Zoom Diallo added 12 points, Wilkins chipped in 11 points and a team-high five assists, and Moreno delivered an eight-point, 10-rebound double-double with two assists. Kentucky's 20 assists on the night — against just seven for Manhattan — told the story of an offense that moved the ball at will.
For Manhattan, Novak Manojlovic and Kevin Kearney scored 11 points apiece, while Tweedy finished with nine points and three assists and Pearce added seven.
What It Means
For the Kentucky Wildcats, this is exactly the kind of November performance that builds a foundation. The shooting numbers — 53 percent overall, 39 percent from deep — paired with a plus-14 rebounding edge (40-26) and 20 assists suggest an offense with multiple reliable options. Momcilovic's perimeter shooting, Wilkins' two-way playmaking and Moreno's interior presence give Kentucky a balanced attack as the 2026 season ramps up, though the Wildcats' 14 turnovers leave something to clean up.
The Manhattan Jaspers leave Lexington with lessons to build on. Their early execution showed they can generate quality looks — Tweedy and Pearce hit from well beyond the arc — but 35 percent shooting and a 26-rebound night against Kentucky's frontcourt proved too much to overcome. The late flurry from Eric and Miguel offered a glimpse of the bench depth Manhattan can lean on as its season develops.
