The Kentucky Wildcats got off to a hot start and never looked back as they dominated the South Carolina Gamecocks in an SEC basketball showdown.
No. 5 Kentucky started their game against No. 24 South Carolina on a 7-0 run and built a lead as high as 15 points halfway through the first half.
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Kentucky dominated in nearly every aspect of the game, and the Wildcats never trailed during the contest.
There's only room for one undefeated team in @SEC play.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 22, 2017
No. 5 Kentucky hands No. 24 South Carolina its first league loss, 85-69. pic.twitter.com/9egoeWISks
The last two times Kentucky started 7-0 in SEC play they reached the Final Four, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
South Carolina seemed to feel the pressure of taking on Kentucky at Rupp Arena early on. The Gamecocks managed to trim the deficit to three points with 4:39 remaining in the first half but were unable to overcome the slow start and trailed the whole game.
Kentucky has gone 11-1 this season at home, with its one loss coming to currently No. 3 ranked UCLA.
Sindarius Thornwell managed to put up a whopping 34 points for the Gamecocks, which was nearly half the team’s total, but he got little offensive help from his teammates. Temarcus Blanton was the only other player able to put up double-digit points for the Gamecocks.
Kentucky had four players score in double figures as Malik Monk scored a team-high 27 points. The Wildcats managed to easily spread the ball around against South Carolina as they shot 58.3 percent from the floor and 40 percent from beyond the arc.
South Carolina has quality wins over Michigan and Syracuse, which were both at home. Kentucky outperformed the Gamecocks in nearly every category but turnovers.
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Going forward, Kentucky needs to keep its eye on the big picture as they once again proved they are the superior SEC basketball team. South Carolina has proved it can be a threat to make an NCAA Tournament run, but the team needs to learn to play better on the road. The Gamecocks take on Auburn at home next and Kentucky goes on the road to face Tennessee.