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GONZAGA

No. 11 Gonzaga blasts No. 18 Kentucky 94-59 in Nashville

Graham Ike scored a season-high 28 points as No. 11 Gonzaga raced to a 19-2 lead and pummeled No. 18 Kentucky 94-59 in the Music City.

Gonzaga Tyon Grant-Foster block Kentucky 2025...

Gonzaga's Tyon Grant-Foster blocks a shot from Kentucky's Denzel Aberdeen on Friday night in Nashville. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

(Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Graham Ike scored a season-high 28 points and had 10 rebounds as No. 11 Gonzaga routed No. 18 Kentucky 94-59 Friday night on a neutral court that felt much more like Rupp Arena South with Wildcats faithful filling Bridgestone Arena, home to the NHL’s Nashville Predators.

No. 11 Gonzaga 94, No. 18 Kentucky 59: Box score

Gonzaga (8-1) notched its third Top 25 win this season and third over a Southeastern Conference team, all by double digits. The Bulldogs had been off since being routed by then-No. 7 Michigan on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas.

Braden Huff added 20 points for Gonzaga, and Adam Miller and Braeden Smith each had 11.

Gonzaga never trailed, scoring the first seven points. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 19-2 lead and extended it to 25 points. Kentucky’s blue-clad fans booed the Wildcats off the court at halftime, when they trailed 43-20.

Gonzaga kept padding its lead in the second half. When Huff’s bucket with 3:57 left made it 86-53, fans headed for the exits. The Bulldogs led by 37 inside the final minute.

Kentucky (5-4) got guard Jaland Lowe back from an injured right shoulder that kept him out of the past five games. He came off the bench as the Wildcats lost their second straight and third of five. They fell 67-64 to No. 16 North Carolina on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats missed their first 10 shots, seven outside the arc. They kept shooting away, and fans roared when Denzel Aberdeen finally sank Kentucky’s first 3-pointer with 11:04 left to make it 19-5. As shots kept missing, fans started booing.

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Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 16 points and Collin Chandler scored 11.

Up next

Gonzaga hosts North Florida on Sunday.

Kentucky hosts North Carolina Central on Tuesday night.

AP Top 25 Basketball: Gonzaga moves up; Michigan jumps to No. 3

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