No. 5 Kentucky pulls away in 2nd half to beat Colgate 78-67
Kentucky's Koby Brea (4) shoots while pressured by Colgate's Kyle Carlesimo (13) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. Credit: AP/James Crisp
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Koby Brea scored 17 points, including five to cap a critical second-half spurt that rallied No. 5 Kentucky past Colgate 78-67 on Wednesday night.
Jaxson Robinson made consecutive 3-pointers to spark the Wildcats' 14-2 run over 7:31 for a 63-49 lead, a surge that included 3s by Trent Noah, Otega Oweh and Brea for the needed cushion. The Raiders (2-9) overcame a 17-0 hole, trailed 38-36 at halftime and eventually led 41-40 early in the second half on Jalen Cox's 3-pointer.
Brea finished 5 of 8 from long range and 6 of 12 overall for Kentucky (9-1), which was coming off a 90-89 overtime win over then-No. 7 Gonzaga on Saturday night.
Amari Williams and Oweh each added 15 points, while Robinson and Andrew Carr had 11 apiece.
Parker Jones had 17 points while Brady Cummins and Jalen Cox had 10 each for Colgate, which dropped its fifth consecutive game.
The Wildcats shot 43% overall and 49% after halftime, while the Raiders shot just 41% overall.
Takeaways
Colgate: The Raiders initially appeared shellshocked after trailing 17-0 before they found confidence and eventually grabbed the lead. Momentum faded quickly as the Raiders couldn't stop the Wildcats from outside.
Kentucky's Koby Brea, middle, looks for an opening on Colgate's Parker Jones, left, and Cameron Brennan (9) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. Credit: AP/James Crisp
Kentucky: The Wildcats seemed in control at first before going cold and playing sloppy and unfocused during the middle parts of the game. Falling behind provided a wake-up call, and the Wildcats responded.
Key moment
Trailing 47-46, Kentucky made four 3-pointers in five shots during a 12-0 run over 2:53.
Key stats
Kentucky made 13 of its final 26 shots, including 6 of 13 from behind the arc.
Up next
Colgate hosts Vermont on Sunday to start a three-game homestand, while Kentucky hosts rival Louisville on Saturday.
Colgate's Jalen Cox (3) shoots while pressured by Kentucky's Brandon Garrison (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. Credit: AP/James Crisp
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