Randle helps Kentucky fend off Belmont

Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) – Julius Randle had 29 points and 10
rebounds in the 19th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats’ 93-80 victory over the Belmont
Bruins on Saturday.

Randle missed just two of his 10 shots from the field and went 13-of-19 from
the foul line for the Wildcats (9-3), who bounced back from a loss to North
Carolina last Saturday.

Aaron Harrison tallied 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds for Kentucky,
which went 26-of-36 from the charity stripe. Willie Cauley-Stein donated 16
points and seven boards.

Craig Bradshaw and Drew Windler ended with 22 and 21 points, respectively, for
the Bruins (8-5), who have lost three in a row.

The Bruins made things interesting early thanks to a 13-2 run midway through
the first half. Windler made two 3-pointers during the surge that J.J. Mann
capped with a layup for a 25-14 Belmont lead.

But the Wildcats made their presence felt in the latter stages of the first
period. The home team used a 9-0 spurt to make it 41-41 with 24 seconds to go.

Windler stopped the flurry with a pair of free throws to give the Bruins a
two-point margin at the break.

Trailing 48-46 early in the second half, Kentucky took control with a 20-9
run. Harrison tallied 11 points during the burst, including two free throws
with 9:16 remaining to make it a 66-57 contest.

The Wildcats turned the game into a rout moments later with an 11-3 run. They
outscored Belmont by a 52-37 margin in the second frame.

Game Notes

Saturday’s game marked the first-ever meeting between these two teams …
Kentucky improved to 36-0 against teams comprising the Ohio Valley
Conference … The Wildcats shot 55.2 percent from the floor … Windler went
5-of-8 from beyond the arc.