Kentucky avoids disaster with Alex Wilkins’ 3 to beat Northern Arizona

LEXINGTON, Ky. — There was likely nothing Kentucky could do in a matchup with winless Northern Arizona to lessen the concerns raised in its blowout loss to Kansas earlier in the week. But there was certainly a way for Mark Pope’s Wildcats to make things worse. kAmp=6I (:=<:?D 96=A65 z6?EF4F49 @7 E96 D64@?5 92=7 @7 2 fg\ff H:? :? #FAA pC6?2 @G6C H:?=6DD }@CE96C? pC:K@?2]k^Am kAmz6?EF42?J 2D `b A@:?ED :? E96 7:CDE 92=7 2?5 3J `_ A@:?ED 2E 92=7E:>6[ 3FE }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 `` D4@C65 DEC2:89E A@:?ED 62C=J :? E96 D64@?5 92=7 E@ E2<6 2 d`\ch =625[ =625:?8 E@ 3@@D 7C@> E96 #FAA pC6?2 4C@H5 2D !@A6 42==65 2 E:>6@FE H:E9 `di_a =67E :? 2? 677@CE E@ DE@A E96 CF?]k^Am kAm}@CE96C? pC:K@?2 DEC6E4965 :ED =625 E@ 7:G6 A@:?ED H:E9 fi`b C6>2:?:?8 367@C6 z6?EF436C;24:? 9:E EH@ 7C66 E9C@HD] &z’D yFDE:? |4qC:56 E96? 5C:==65 2 b 2E E96 E@A @7 E96 <6J[ 3FE z@>:? 2?DH6C65 H:E9 2 566A b @7 9:D @H?]k^Am kAm|4qC:56 82G6 z6?EF42? 2?DH6C65 H:E9 2?@E96C 566A b @G6C |4qC:56’D @FEDEC6E4965 2C> 7@C 2 f_\eg }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 =625 H:E9 aidc C6>2:?:?8]k^Am kAm|:=2? |@>4:=@G:4[ E96 ?2E:@?’D 36DE b\A@:?E D9@@E6C =2DE D62D@? 2E x@H2 $E2E6[ >:DD65 EH@ @A6? bD :? E96 7:?2= E9C66 >:?FE6D 7@C z6?EF46 3C62E9:?8 C@@> H96? {@F42D %@F<2> 5F?<65 9@>6 2 >:DD65 b\A@:?E6C H:E9 `icb =67E E@ DEC6E49 E96 =625 E@ 7:G6]k^Am kAm%C2:=:?8 fc\f_ H:E9 d` D64@?5D =67E[ z6?EF44:=@G:4 52CE:?8 E@H2C5 E96 32D<6E] |@>4:=@G:4 H2D 23=6 E@ 86E @77 2 7=@2E6C E9C@F89 4@?E24E E96? 4@?G6CE E96 E9C66\A@:?E A=2J 2E E96 7C66 E9C@H =:?6] yFDE H96? :E 2AA62C65 z6?EF42:?65 :? E96 82>6] xE E@E2=65 ;FDE ?:?6 C63@F?5D :? E96 7:CDE 92=7]k^Am k9bm%FC?:?8 A@:?Ek^9bm kAm}@CE96C? pC:K@?2 925 2 492?46 E@ :46 E96 82>6 2E E96 7C66 E9C@H =:?6 3FE >:DD65 E96 7C@?E 6?5 @7 2 @?6\2?5\@?6 EH:46 :? E96 7:?2= `a D64@?5D] |2=249: |@C6?@ =@DE E96 32== @FE @7 3@F?5D H9:=6 2EE6>AE:?8 E@ C63@F?5 E96 7:CDE >:DD[ 3FE &z 8@E 2 D64@?5 492?46 27E6C z@>:?[ H9@ 925 D4@C65 ad A@:?ED H:E9 D6G6? C63@F?5D 2?5 D:I 2DD:DED[ >:DD65 H:E9 6:89E D64@?5D =67E]k^Am kAm~FD>2?6 }’s:2J6 8C23365 E96 C63@F?5 7@C z6?EF46\H:??6C H:E9 a]` D64@?5D =67E]k^Am k9bm!=2J6C @7 E96 82>6k^9bm kAmu@FC z6?EF46 :? 5@F3=6 7:8FC6D[ 3FE ?@ E96C6 H6C6 76H DE2?5@FED 7@C >@DE @7 E96 ?:89E] (:=<:?D’ 82>6\H:??6C H2D 2E =62DE 2 >6>@C23=6 >@>6?E] w6 7:?:D965 E96 82>6 H:E9 2 E62>\9:89 `c A@:?ED E@ 8@ H:E9 7@FC 2DD:DED]k^Am k9bmz6J DE2Ek^9bm kAmt?E6C:?8 E96 ?:89E[ }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 H2D C2?<65 ahhE9 ?2E:@?2==J 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^z6?!@>]4@>Qmz6?!@>]4@>k^2m] %96 {F>36C;242;@C @AA@?6?E D:?46 s64] a[ a_ab[ 282:?DE &}r (:=>:?8E@?]k^Am