LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Andrew Carr scored all of his 14 points in the first half, Otega Oweh added 13 and No. 10 Kentucky handled Brown 88-54 Tuesday.
Oweh had 11 points after halftime, including seven in the first five minutes of the second half to put the Wildcats (11-2) up 52-32 with 15:38 remaining. Amari Williams and Koby Brea each added 13 points.
Kino Lilly Jr. scored 16 points to lead Brown (7-5), but the Bears’ leading scorer never was able to control the game. He hit two 3-pointers but entered the game averaging four 3s per game to rank third in the nation.
Takeaways
Brown: The Bears committed 23 turnovers that led to 33 Kentucky points. They also shot just 2 of 12 on 3-pointers in the first half.
Kentucky: The Wildcats needed the win after a disappointing 85-65 loss to Ohio State on Dec. 21 and a challenging Southeastern Conference schedule ahead of them. Kentucky showed the effects of a 10-day layoff early on, only leading 4-2 at the first media timeout and being outrebounded by 10 in the first half.
Key moment
After the slow start and Brown leading 6-4, Carr sparked a 15-3 Wildcat run with seven straight points for a 15-7 lead. Kentucky led 37-21 with 2:30 to go before halftime and 33-15 overall.
Key stat
Both teams shot exactly the same in the first half, 11 of 26 (42.3%). Kentucky had three more 3-pointers and 10 more free throws than the Bears, which made the difference.
Up next
Brown hosts Johnson & Wales on Sunday. Kentucky opens SEC play at home Saturday against No. 6 Florida.
