LEXINGTON, Ky. – Colgate overcame an 18-point first-half deficit to lead in the second half but ultimately came up short to No. 5 Kentucky 78-67 on Wednesday night inside Rupp Arena. 

Jalen Cox swished a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Raiders a 42-41 lead two minutes into the second half and all 19,000+ in the building had the same feeling: Here comes Colgate.

But Kentucky rallied behind the home crowd, using a 17-2 run down the stretch to eventually take the lead and hold on for the 11-point decision.

Parker Jones was the player of the game. He finished with a game-high 17 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-7 from behind the arc to go with six rebounds. Cox registered 10 points and a career-high eight assists, matching the point total from Brady Cummins who reached double-figures on 5-of-9 shooting.

COACH LANGEL'S COMMENTS

"I'm proud of the group for fighting back after a sluggish start. We've been focusing on just fighting whatever the circumstances are. We played hard and made some big shots. We competed against one of the best teams in the country. Kentucky has assembled a group of winners and we have the utmost respect for them. We ran out of gas a little bit and hats off to them, they stepped up and made some shots after we took the lead. We'll be following Kentucky closely. I like how they play. They play for one another and certainly for the name on the front of their jerseys which is really important here."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Colgate started 0-for-13 from the field allowing Kentucky to open a 17-0 lead six minutes into the game. Chandler Baker broke the scoreless streak with his first trey, and then back-to-back triples from Kyle Carlesimo capped an 11-0 response for the Raiders who cut it to 17-11.
• The Wildcats re-established a double-digit lead 31-19 on a three from Koby Brea but the final four minutes of the opening half belonged to the resilient Raider squad. 
• Jones and Nicolas Louis-Jacques swished two more 3-pointers in a 10-0 run for Colgate to slice the deficit to 31-29 two minutes later. Jones nailed his third triple of the half at the buzzer to make it a two-point lead for Kentucky at the intermission, 38-36. 
• The Raiders took their first lead 42-41 on Cox's triple less than two minutes into the second half. The lead stretched to 45-42 on a jumper in the lane by Jones with 17:30 showing.
• Kentucky hit four straight threes in a 12-0 run that took Colgate's lead and turned it upside down. Jaxson Robinson had the first two treys for the Wildcats who opened a 58-47 lead seven minutes into the second stanza. Carlesimo ended the run with a tough step-back in the lane. 
• The Wildcats' momentum swing turned into a 23-4 burst over 10 minutes of game time and the home team suddenly led 69-51 with 5:02 remaining. 
• A three-point play from Jones put him to a game-high 17 points and a 3-pointer from Sam Wright made things interesting late, trailing 78-67 in the final minute, but Kentucky held on the victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Colgate connected on 40.9 percent from the field (27-66) including 33.3 percent from behind the arc (11-33) while finishing 2-of-3 from the free throw line (66.7%). Kentucky shot 37.1 percent in the first half and 42.9 percent for the game, along with 32.3 percent from behind the arc (10-31).
• Rebounds were in favor of the Wildcats, 46-35, including a 16-8 advantage in offensive boards. The Wildcats outscored the Raiders 13-3 in second chance points.

UP NEXT
Colgate (2-9) hosts Vermont (5-6) on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a showdown between two teams coming off NCAA tournament appearances. The Raiders cap non-conference action the following Sunday, Dec. 22, with a 1 p.m. tipoff against Iona at Cotterell Court. Both matchups will be produced on ESPN+.