Alex Wilkins drilled a game-winning 3-pointer with just 2.1 seconds left on the clock, snatching a heart-stopping 78-77 victory for No. 24 Kentucky over Northern Arizona on Friday night. Coming off a rough 89-69 loss to No. 15 Kansas earlier in the week, the Wildcats looked like they were on the ropes, but somehow, they found a way to survive a massive upset bid.
Northern Arizona Almost Pulled Off the Unthinkable
Seriously, this game was a rollercoaster. Kentucky, a ranked team, was trailing by five points in the second half after leading by a comfortable 13 points in the first. Think about that for a second. Northern Arizona, a team sitting at 0-4, had them on the ropes. The game saw a ridiculous 13 lead changes and four ties, a testament to how wild this one got. The Lumberjacks even had a 77-73 lead with a mere 18 seconds remaining. And get this: Northern Arizona missed *two* crucial free throws in the final 13 seconds. That’s the kind of moment that haunts you, the kind that opens the door for a team like Kentucky to somehow slip through. Wilkins made them pay for those misses.
Wildcat Scorers Stepped Up, But Komin Was a Problem
While Wilkins played the hero, the Wildcats had some solid contributions on the stat sheet. Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno each dropped 14 points, keeping Kentucky in the fight when things looked bleak. Ousman N’Diaye added 11 points and Justin McBride pitched in 10. But let’s be real, Northern Arizona’s Chris Komin was a absolute beast, dropping 25 points, including five of his team’s season-high 13 3-pointers. Lucas Toukam also added 18 points for the Lumberjacks. They played out of their minds, and it almost paid off in the biggest way.
What a nail-biter. Kentucky just barely avoided disaster here, and you know Coach Cal is gonna have some things to say after a performance like that. Up next, Northern Arizona hosts Embry Riddle on Tuesday, while Kentucky gets a chance to regroup at home against Grambling on Monday. They’ll need to clean things up big time if they want to stay ranked.
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