Malik Monk – photo by Walter Cornett
Malik Monk scored 23 points and De’Aaron Fox added 16 to propel No. 1 Kentucky to a 101-70 rout of Cleveland State on Wednesday.
With leading scorer Isaiah Briscoe sidelined by a back injury, the freshman duo picked up the slack and did it quickly, helping Kentucky (5-0) roll to a 16-2 lead that was never threatened. They combined for 31 first-half points alone, with 19 from Monk, whose 4-for-4 start from long range and 8-of-12 shooting overall helped him match his career scoring best.
Bam Adebayo added 14 points and seven rebounds while Mychal Mulder matched a career high with 13 for Kentucky, which shot a season-best 52 percent from the field in the second of three games in the Bluegrass Showcase.
Rob Edwards’ 28 points on 12-of-21 shooting led Cleveland State (1-3), which couldn’t keep up with the Wildcats on either end and trailed 56-35 at the break.
