In a breakout performance that shocked the crowd at Humphrey Coliseum, forward Ansley Almonor delivered his signature game with the Kentucky Wildcats, cementing his role as a key contributor off the bench.
The 6-foot-7 senior transfer shined in the second half of Saturday’s night showdown in Starkville, propelling Kentucky to an impressive 95-90 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Coming into the season, expectations for Almonor were unclear. He transferred from Fairleigh Dickinson, where he played a pivotal role in the Knights’ stunning upset of No. 1 seed Purdue as a No. 16 seed, securing a 63-58 victory.
Almonor was a standout at the smaller program, averaging 16.4 points and 5.1 rebounds last season. However, many questioned how his skills would translate to the SEC’s more physical and fast-paced style of play.
His performance on Saturday proved he is more than capable of thriving at this level.
Almonor’s performance was nothing short of exceptional. He recorded 11 points on 4/7 shooting, including 3/6 from beyond the arc. The versatile forward demonstrated his scoring ability while delivering clutch 3-pointers in critical moments.
The Wildcats leaned on Almonor’s offensive production during a pivotal stretch in the second half when the game hung in the balance. With Almonor’s breakout game, Kentucky fans have even more reason to be excited about the team’s potential this season.
And after the game, Almonor had the perfect troll of Mississippi State, holding one of the papers that read ‘Beat Kentucky’ that was handed out to Bulldogs fans.
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