National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Kentucky 79, Providence 65
When: 8:30 PM ET, Sunday, December 1, 2013
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Officials: # Tim Clougherty, # Tony Greene, # Mike Roberts
Attendance: 8086

No. 4 Kentucky 79, Providence 62: Willie Cauley-Stein had 15 points, eight rebounds and a career-high nine blocks as the Wildcats defeated the Friars at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

James Young (18 points), Aaron Harrison (15 points) and Cauley-Stein combined to shoot 19-of-24 - as many made field goals as Providence had as a team. Kentucky (7-1) won despite freshman sensation Julius Randle failing to record a double-double for the first time in his career, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Bryce Cotton scored a game-high 23 points but only shot 7-of-21 for the Friars (7-2), who barely shot over 31 percent as a team - 10-of-19 from 3-point range and only 9-of-42 from inside the arc. Tyler Harris and Josh Fortune contributed 10 points apiece for Providence.

Kentucky had been starting five freshmen - a lineup that had led to some slow starts and, ultimately, some uninspiring victories - but Cauley-Stein started in this one and the sophomore center blocked a shot in the game's opening minute as the Wildcats enjoyed a fast start for once. They jumped out to a 6-0 lead and then went ahead 14-5 when Cauley-Stein grabbed an offensive rebound that resulted in Harrison's 3-pointer.

The Wildcats led 39-35 at halftime and held a 41-38 edge early in the second half when Cauley-Stein had a tip-in, a dunk and two blocks during a 6-0 run that created some breathing room. Dakari Johnson's free throw put Kentucky ahead 60-50 with 9:12 remaining, and the Wildcats led by double-digits the rest of the way.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Providence only committed six turnovers, while Kentucky had 14. ... The Wildcats shot 6-of-8 from 3-point range, including a 3-of-4 effort from Young, who finished 5-of-7 overall. ... Randle and Harrison led Kentucky with four assists, while Cotton dished out five assists to pace Providence.
Top Game Performances
 
Providence   Kentucky
Bryce Cotton 23 Scoring James Young 18
Bryce Cotton 5 Assists Aaron Harrison 4
Kadeem Batts 8 Rebounds Willie Cauley-Stein 8
Bryce Cotton 4 Free Throws Made Andrew Harrison 8
Bryce Cotton 2 Steals Dominique Hawkins 1
Carson Desrosiers 3 Blocks Willie Cauley-Stein 9
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Providence 65 31.1 10-19 17-23 8 24 3 5 6
Kentucky 79 64.3 6-8 19-25 12 29 11 3 14