Alex Wilkins 3-Pointer Saves Kentucky in 78-77 Win Over Northern Arizona

Alex Wilkins 3-Pointer Saves Kentucky in 78-77 Win Over Northern Arizona

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Guard Alex Wilkins knocked down a 3-pointer to lift Kentucky to a 78-77 win over Northern Arizona on Friday, avoiding what would have been one of the most stunning losses in Kentucky basketball history at home.

The Wildcats trailed by four points in the final minute before Northern Arizona missed the front-end of a one-and-one, opening the door for Wilkins to deliver the go-ahead shot. Kentucky led by as many as 13 points in the first half before Northern Arizona mounted a comeback to take the lead late in the game.

For the third time in three games, Mark Pope’s squad struggled. Kentucky was on the ropes against James Madison last week at home before pulling away late, and earlier in the week suffered an embarrassing loss at the Champions Classic where the team was outclassed by the Jayhawks.

Even though Kentucky managed to beat Northern Arizona, a program that has sat at the bottom of KenPom’s rankings for the last few seasons, the narrow victory will not ease the pressure on Pope during a make-or-break season for his alma mater.

The program entered the 2026-27 season with one of the highest-priced rosters in the sport, carrying high expectations after adding multiple transfers like Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic, who ranked as the best 3-point shooter in the sport last season.

That heavy investment recalls last year’s underachieving roster, which carried a reported price tag over $20 million before falling to Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Last season featured several lowlights, including a 17-point loss to Michigan State, a 35-point loss to Gonzaga, and a 25-point defeat against Vanderbilt during SEC play.

Improving to 3-1 with Friday’s win won’t cool down the hot seat facing Pope. Kentucky is expected to drop out of the next AP poll rankings following the loss to Kansas, and upcoming games against Indiana, Virginia, and Louisville over the next month mean that replicating this performance against Northern Arizona will yield a different outcome in the win-loss column.

More on Kentucky: Kentucky Basketball Faces Concerning Trend of Blowout Losses · Kentucky Women's Basketball Crushes Evansville 98-30 Behind McDonald's Record Nine Threes · No. 24 Kentucky Faces No. 15 Kansas in Champions Classic Showdown

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