HBCU Miles College gives Kentucky first-half scare

For 20 minutes, Miles College was a better team than the University of Kentucky basketball squad.

SIAC basketball power Miles led its hosts from Rupp Arena by seven points at intermission before the SEC squad got cooking in the second half. Kentucky won the game 80-71 but there was a lot to like in the game, especially in the first half.

Miles used the 3-point line to get off to its hot start. Yasim Hooker, Elijah Horton and Roger Davis combined to go a perfect 7-for-7 from the 3-point line in the first half. As a team, Miles went 11-for-15 from long-range in the first 20 minutes. It shot a sizzling 58.6 percent from the field overall in the first half, hitting 17 of its 29 attempts. Kentucky trailed Miles 46-39.

Unfortunately for Miles, it was Kentucky who had the hot hand in the game’s final 20 minutes. UK shot 53.1 percent from the field, while holding Miles under 39 percent. The 3-point line was not nearly as kind inn the second half as Miles hit just 4 of 15 attempts from long-range. UK outscored Miles 41-25 in the second half.

Davis led Miles with 14 points on the night.

It wass the first competition for Miles College after an abbreviated season earlier in the year in which it went 10-1. Miles will take on Oakwood on November 13th.