Since arriving to begin practice, the Kentucky All-Stars have talked about nothing but a sweep of their Indiana counterparts this year.
The Kentuckians are halfway to that goal following a 103-82 win Friday night at Lexington Catholic High School.
Kentucky used a 16-2 second-half run and shot 60 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes to outscore Indiana 60-33 in the second half.
Max Green, Oldham County’s all-time leading scorer, was the most dominant player on the floor – scoring 36 points on 14 of 16 shooting and contributing five rebounds. Green, who has signed with Holy Cross, scored 25 of his 36 in the second half and was one of four Kentucky players in double figures.
Two of them hail from Lyon County. Mr. Basketball and University of Kentucky signee Travis Perry scored 12 points and added five steals and three assists against an Indiana defense that held him to five 3-point attempts. He made two.
Brady Shoulders had 11 points and five rebounds in a starting role.
Quel’Ron House, the Seneca product who is headed to Jacksonville State, scored 16 points.
Kentucky shot 52 percent from the field and hit 23 of 33 at the free throw line. They also showed strong ball security with only eight turnovers.
Christian County’s Derrell Bateman and Hopkinsville’s Antonio Williams played but did not score.
Indiana leads the all-time series 104-46 but Kentucky won last year in Owensboro to snap an eight-game losing streak in the series.
Flory Bidunga, a McDonald’s All-American and Indiana Mr. Basketball, scored 13 points but was whistled for a technical foul – his fifth foul of the game – after a dunk with over 10 minutes left and Kentucky leading by one.
Purdue-bound Jack Benter led Indiana with 16 points.
The teams will meet again in Indianapolis on Saturday night.
