Kentucky knocked down a season-high 11 3-pointers to score a 93-86 victory over Virginia Tech.
The Wildcats entered the game second to last in the country in 3-point field goal attempts, but certainly made the most of their 22 attempts on the day.
Kevin Knox led all scorers with 21 points, while Hamidou Diallo added 20 and hit four 3-pointers.
Cats by 7️⃣.
The #VTvsUK highlights from @KYwildcatsTV pic.twitter.com/USo1UAheiW— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) December 16, 2017
The Hokies had no trouble scoring themselves in shooting 58.2 percent from the floor and were nearly as effective beyond the arc in making 10 of 22 attempts.
Kentucky forced 19 turnovers in the game and converted that into 36 points.
Lovell’s Analysis
This was a great win for the Wildcats over what is a very good Virginia Tech squad.
We’ve talked all season long about Kentucky’s perimeter shooting possibly being its downfall, but this game proved that the young Wildcats have good shooting performances in them.
The size and length of this team will continue to cause lots of problems for the opposition, which was evident by Virginia Tech’s turnover problems and Kentucky’s ability to convert those mistakes into points.
John Calipari probably won’t see his team shoot as much or as well from outside as they did in this one, but being able to force turnovers and grab extra opportunities on the glass will always give them a chance to win.
There is obviously still progress to be made for the Wildcats, and that’s a scary thought when you consider just how talented they are from top to bottom.
For now though, with a neutral-court loss to Kansas being the only blemish on the record, Calipari has to like where his team stands with only two games left until SEC play.