Graham Ike and No. 11 Gonzaga rout No. 18 Kentucky 94-59 for Wildcats' 4th loss

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Graham Ike scored a season-high 28 points and had 10 rebounds as No. 11 Gonzaga routed No. 18 Kentucky 94-59 Friday night on a neutral court that felt much more like Rupp Arena South with Wildcats faithful filling Brigestone Arena, home to the NHL’s Nashville Predators.

Gonzaga (8-1) notched its third Top 25 win this season and third over a Southeastern Conference team, all by double digits. The Bulldogs had been off since being routed by then-No. 7 Michigan on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas.

Braden Huff added 20 points for Gonzaga, and Adam Miller and Braeden Smith each had 11.

Gonzaga never trailed, scoring the first seven points. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 19-2 lead and extended it to 25 points. Kentucky’s blue-clad fans booed the Wildcats off the court at halftime, when they trailed 43-20.

Gonzaga kept padding its lead in the second half. When Huff’s bucket with 3:57 left made it 86-53, fans headed for the exits. The Bulldogs led by 37 inside the final minute.

Kentucky (5-4) got guard Jaland Lowe back from an injured right shoulder that kept him out of the past five games. He came off the bench as the Wildcats lost their second straight and third of five. They fell 67-64 to No. 16 North Carolina on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats missed their first 10 shots, seven outside the arc. They kept shooting away, and fans roared when Denzel Aberdeen finally sank Kentucky’s first 3-pointer with 11:04 left to make it 19-5. As shots kept missing, fans started booing.