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The Kentucky Wildcats get a desperately needed road win over South Carolina, by a final score of 72-63. With Otega Oweh having an off night and the Cats’ bench giving minimal help, Denzel Aberdeen bailed out the Wildcats on the offensive end with 19 points, five assists, and zero turnovers.
In a sluggish win for the Wildcats, their bench combined for just 16 points as Mark Pope couldn’t find much rhythm in his second unit. The trio of Jasper Johson, Trent Noah, and Brandon Garrison combined for just four points that were all tallied on Garrison’s stat line.
It was Mo Dioubate who prevailed in the paint and on the glass on Tuesday night in Columbia as he carried the Wildcats bench. Dioubate finished the game with 12 out of the 16 points for the Cats, and also added four rebounds and two on the offensive glass. He also chipped in a block and a steal.
All of the Wildcats’ bench finished in the plus side of their +/-, but Pope will be looking for a little more contribution as the team is looking for their final push as March looms closer.
Dioubate spoke to the media after his solid showing against the Gamecocks, admitting that he’s gone through some struggles recently and was just happy to get this win.
“The last few weeks, I’ve been going through some adversity on the court,” he told reporters. “I’ve just been trying to move forward. I understand we have a goal in mind. We’re trying to win. We can’t cry over spilled milk. We just have to keep moving.
“I understand that my team needs me, so I can’t be too hard on my feelings over a bad game or anything like that. We just have to keep moving forward.”
With three games remaining in the regular season, the Wildcats have dealt with some crucial injuries and will run a nine-deep rotation in the postseason. It’ll be important that the team stays consistent and players step up off the bench, making Dioubate’s role all the more important if other bench players can’t step up.