This past Wednesday, the UK Men’s Basketball defeated LSU 75-74 in an exciting buzzer beater finish. Malachi Moreno, Great Crossing Alum and UK freshman, hit a game winning jumper with 1.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter to win the game. UK was down 38-22 at halftime – a difficult 18 point deficit. The Cats did not play well in the first half, shooting 27% and 17% on threes. However, they turned it around in the second half, scoring 53 points.
Otega Oweh had a great game leading the Cats with 21 points. Oweh set up Moreno’s heroic finish after being fouled while shooting and making one of two free throws, leaving UK one point down. Luckily, LSU missed two free throws with 1.6 seconds left, leading to Moreno’s jumper. Moreno only played eight minutes in the second half after claiming his fourth foul less than three minutes into the second half, yet he had a game-winning impact.
Last year, Moreno was a top recruit for Kentucky from local high school Great Crossing, where he averaged 21 points, fifteen rebounds, and was named Mr. Basketball Kentucky. He is currently living up to all expectations for his college career, averaging 21 minutes and 9.3 points per game. Moreno had to step up into a big role after Jayden Quaintance experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee. Also notably, the Cats’ starting point guard Jaland Lowe was out for the game, and the rest of the season, due to a season-ending shoulder injury.
