Kentucky basketball survives 3-point barrage to hold off James Madison, 89-80

Brett Dawson, Lexington Herald-Leader on Nov 6, 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — They say the 3-point shot is basketball’s great equalizer, and for a good chunk of Friday night at Rupp Arena, it made James Madison every bit the equal of mighty Kentucky.

But game-changing 3-pointers aren’t the exclusive property of plucky underdogs.

A second-half surge from long distance helped No. 23 stave off an upset alert and pull away from JMU, 89-80, on a night when the Dukes set a Rupp Arena record for 3-point tries by an opponent.

James Madison launched 45 of them, eclipsing the record of 40 long-range attempts by Alabama in a 2022 loss at Rupp.

And for a long time, the Dukes made enough of them to threaten the Wildcats (2-0).

Ultimately, James Madison’s 15-of-45 3-point shooting wasn’t enough to overcome Kentucky’s superior talent and depth — even on a night when the Cats’ own top 3-point threat, Milan Momcilovic, was 1 for 8 from deep and 3-and-D wing Kam Williams was 0 for 1 in his season debut after returning from a Jones fracture.

UK’s balance from long range — six Cats made at least one 3-pointer, and three hit at least two — was decisive, as was its depth.

Freshman guard Mason Williams (12 points) and JMU transfer Justin McBride (13) combined for 25 points off the bench as UK’s reserves outscored James Madison’s 39-24.

Kentucky led by as many as 14 points, but no more than eight in the first half, and the game was tied at 39 at halftime. At the break, JMU had taken 36 shots, and 26 were from 3-point range. The Dukes hit nine of them to UK’s 5-for-16 shooting from deep.

The Cats got all 39 of their first-half points in the paint (20 points), from behind the 3-point line (15) and at the free-throw line (four). That’s where you want your points in 2026. But the Dukes also scored every first-half point from the same spots, albeit via a vastly different route: eight points in the paint, 27 from 3-point range and two at the line.

UK had a scoreless streak of 3:21 seconds late in the half and at one stretch missed eight of 10 shots.

But after hitting 9 of 26 3-pointers in the first half, JMU was 6 for 19 in a second half Kentucky won 50-41.

Turning point

After a Paul Jones 3-pointer with 13:59 to play in the game put JMU in front 56-54, UK answered with its best run of the night. It scored 11 straight points, the first nine from point range: a corner 3 from Alex Wilkins and wing swishes from McBride and Ousmane N’Diaye.

Player of the game

Zoom Diallo led Kentucky with 16 points, but his backup, Williams, provided a spark in UK’s decisive second half. Williams finished with 12 points and a team-high five assists; seven of the points and four of the assists came after halftime.

Key stat

Diallo’s short jumper to open the second-half scoring at the 19:33 mark was the first made basket by either team that wasn’t from inside the paint or outside the 3-point line. JMU didn’t hit one until the 14:56 mark of the second half.