By Jordan Ondrof

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@jordanondrof

After a disappointing UK football loss, UK men’s basketball cushioned the blow with a 87-57 victory over NJIT.

Here are the three takeaways from the Cats second game of the season:

Labissiere can actually score in the first half

After two straight games without scoring in the first half, Skal Labissiere was finally able to put some points on the board in the first half. The freshman was the difference maker in the first half for the Cats, going 7-7 shooting and scoring 13 of the Cats 36 first half points. His success in the fist half increased in the second half. He scored a team high 26 points, and grabbed 5 rebounds.

Lee and Willis are difference makers

The juniors have waited patiently for their turn to make an impact on the court. After two years of watching from the sidelines, they are finally getting their chance, and they are making the most of it. Both Marcus Lee and Derek Willis work harder than anyone on the court, fighting for every loose ball and rebound. Lee had 8 rebounds and several on offense he was able to fight to put back, the get him 10 points. Willis had a great night, shooting 7-9, scoring 11 points.

The Cats don’t play well when the guards don’t play well

Jamal Murray struggled in the first half and was visibly frustrated. He had multiple bad turnovers and wasn’t able to make a shot. He was able to turn it around a little in the second half but ultimately went 4-23, only scoring 8 points. Ulis only managed to have 5 points, 3 of which came from the free-throw line. However, freshman Isaiah Briscoe played well in his first game as a Cat, achieving a double-double after sitting last game due to an injury. The Cats are fortunate to have big men like Labissiere and Lee that can score when the guards are struggling to shoot, but the tempo and dominance of the game is severely tainted when the guards are not playing their best.