LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Malik Monk scored 27 points, Bam Adebayo added 18 and No. 5 Kentucky overcame an ankle injury to starting guard De’Aaron Fox to beat No. 24 South Carolina 85-69 on Saturday and take over first place in the Southeastern Conference.
The showdown of the SEC’s lone unbeaten teams in league play featured a subplot of injuries to key players on both squads. Fox, Kentucky’s No. 2 scorer, turned his right ankle midway through the first half; he returned early in the second on crutches with his foot in a soft cast. His injury followed the pregame scratch of Gamecocks guard and No. 2 scorer P.J. Dozier with back spasms.
The Wildcats (17-2, 7-0 SEC) regrouped without Fox and earned the hard-fought victory thanks to Monk, who made 9 of 14 from the field and 5 of 6 free throws after struggling against Mississippi State. Adebayo added a series of dunks and Derek Willis added 12 points and 7 rebounds as Kentucky won its seventh straight.
Sindarius Thornwell scored a career-high 34 points and Temarcus Blanton 12 for South Carolina (15-4, 5-1 SEC), which had won five straight.