There was no letdown in Lexington on Tuesday night. After an emotional 77-72 win over Duke in the Champion’s Classic, followed by a week layoff, some would worry about the team being mentally ready to play the next time out.

A win for Lipscomb would push their record over .500, and after one quarter of play they've put themselves in a good position to make it happen. Sitting on a score of 31-30, they have looked like the better team,

Five things you need to know from No. 9 Kentucky’s 97-68 win over Lipscomb in men’s NCAA college basketball at Rupp Arena: 1. Jaxson Robinson gets going. After scoring only one point in UK’s 77-72 win over Duke in the Champions Classic, BYU transfer Jaxson Robinson bounced back with his best game of the season to date.

Pomeroy: Kentucky is No. 22 overall in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings. UK ranks 21st on offense and 35th on defense. Lipscomb is No. 129 in the KenPom rankings. The Bisons rank 137th on offense and 141 on defense.

Complete statistics from Tuesday night’s Kentucky Wildcats 2024-25 men’s basketball game against the Lipscomb Bisons in Rupp Arena.

Only one more half stands between Kentucky and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Lipscomb 43-26. Kentucky entered the matchup having won three straight and they're just one half away from another.

"Talk about a 'gravity guy,'" Pope said. "You just throw Jax on the court, and four guys are leaning towards him. His numbers may not be huge, but he has an impact when he walks in the gym." Pope doubled down on that assertion two days later.