Knights' 27 Leads Cats In Third And Final Scrimmage

Updated: 2:02 PM ET Tue, Aug. 17, 2010

Knight's 27 leads fast-breaking UK, 104-75
By Jerry Tipton / jtipton@herald-leader.com

WINDSOR, Ontario — Kentucky completed its exhibition series in Canada on Tuesday by exhibiting vast superiority over the competition.

Led by the newly assertive Darius Miller and freshman guards Doron Lamb and Brandon Knight, Kentucky blitzed Windsor 104-75.

Knight topped Kentucky's scoring with 27 points. Miller added 24 and Lamb 23.

Freshman Jarrod Polson scored the basket that put UK over the century mark. Fittingly, it came on a driving shot in the lane. Throughout the game, UK used the dribble-drive offense to get scores around the basket or set up open shots from the perimeter.

Knight, who scored 31 points against Windsor on Sunday, had 16 in the first half Tuesday.

That barrage helped UK roll to a 53-35 lead at intermission.

Much like the Sunday game, UK turned Windsor over repeatedly and ran to fast-break scores in the first half.

Knight often benefited. In one 1:49 sequence, he scored eight points.

If Josh Harrellson needs a punch in the face before a game to get his competitive juices flowing, Knight got the equivalent of that in the first half.

The figurative punch came when Windsor blocked Knight's fast-break layup.

Whether there was a cause-and-effect or not, Knight took over from there. On the very next UK possession, he threw down an emphatic fast-break dunk that made futile Andre Smyth's attempt at a block.

That gave UK its first double-digit lead at 37-27 with 5:09 left.

Helping to ignite UK's transition game was the decision to go small against Windsor in the rematch. The Cats started five guards: Darius Miller, Stacey Poole Jr., Jon Hood, Doron Lamb and Knight.

Although playing its third game in 42 hours, UK got stronger as the half unfolded. The Cats outscored Windsor 21-8 in the half's final six minutes.

After a timeout 56 seconds into the second half, Kentucky continued to pull away. The timeout came after the Cats opened the second half with back-to-back turnovers. UK had only six turnovers in the first half.

Kentucky steadily increased its lead. Hood's fast-break layup made it 65-41 with 14:55 left.

The lead crossed the 30-point mark later in the half. Miller, Knight and Lamb led the charge, each scoring his 20th point in a 22-7 run that put the Cats ahead 98-64.