Instant analysis: Who’s up, who’s down after UK’s 96-58 win over North Dakota

Instant analysis from No. 10 Kentucky’s 96-58 win over North Dakota:

How the game was won

Kentucky hit 13 of its first 19 field-goal tries and roared past out-manned North Dakota behind PJ Washington (career-high 25 points, seven rebounds) and Tyler Herro (18 points).

Game balls

1. PJ Washington. The sophomore forward unleashed a dialed-in outside-shooting stroke (4-of-5 on treys).

2. Tyler Herro. The competition was not elite but it was nice to see the freshman guard get his shot going (made seven of 12 field goals) after making only four of 17 shots in UK’s first two games. His three assists were nice, too.

3. Quade Green. For one moment, the second-half play when he tipped an outlet pass forward past the North Dakota transition defense to allow teammate PJ Washington to score a breakaway dunk.

4. UK fans who made it to Rupp Arena. All in the (generously) announced crowd of 18,555 came out on an icy night for a 9 p.m. tip against a less-than-marquee opponent.

Every fan inside Rupp on Wednesday night earned BBN street cred for life.

Running suicide drills

1. Cable television executives. Those who set the starting time of a mid-week college basketball game at 9 p.m. local time should run until they puke.

Key number(s)

Fifty. Having played North Dakota, the University of Kentucky men’s basketball program has now played against at least one team from all 50 states. (Hat tip to Jon Scott of www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/statistics.html for calling attention to this).

The ‘Cat-mosphere’

▪ The combination of a 9 p.m. tip on a weeknight, wintry weather and a non-marquee opponent created far more empty seats in Rupp Arena than one ever sees at a Kentucky men’s basketball game. The E-Rupp-tion Zone was less than half-filled.

▪ Kyle Macy, point guard of Kentucky’s 1978 NCAA title team, was introduced on the court during the third TV timeout of the first half.

▪ Former UK baseball star and current Miami Marlins shortstop JT Riddle was the “Y.”

Up next

Kentucky (2-1) will next face the Virginia Military Institute (3-1) Sunday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m. in Rupp Arena. Coach Dan Earl’s Keydets beat South Carolina Upstate 78-72 Wednesday night behind 20 points (4-of-4 three-pointers) from Jake Stephens.

VMI also has victories are over Washington College (89-56) and Goucher (98-34) and a road loss at Pittsburgh (94-55).

UK leads the all-time series with VMI 5-3. However, it will be the first meeting between the teams since the Keydets stunned Kentucky 111-103 in the 2008-09 season opener in Rupp Arena, a sour start to Billy Gillispie’s second — and, as it turned out, last — season as UK head coach.

Mark Story: (859) 231-3230; Twitter: @markcstory

This story was originally published November 14, 2018 at 11:22 PM.