LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Before the game, the wife of longtime Mount St. Mary's coach Jim Phelan made a request of John Calipari. Dottie Phelan said of the Kentucky coach, "You tell my good friend John to be gentle."
It took until the second half, but No. 9 Kentucky and its coach got the chance to consider going easy on Mount St. Mary's.
A big second half propelled UK to an 82-62 victory over Mount St. Mary's on Friday night. By making their first four 3-point shots, UK expanded a five-point halftime lead to as much as 25 midway through the second half. The visitors got no closer than 15 thereafter.
Kentucky got a lift with the return from injury of EJ Montgomery and Immanuel Quickley. Montgomery, who had not played since the opener against Michigan State, scored seven points and grabbed six rebounds in 15 minutes. Quickley scored 13 points. Ashton Hagans flirted with a triple-double (16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists) and Nick Richards scored a game-high 19 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots as UK improved to 4-1.
Mount St. Mary's, which saw its all-time record against ranked opponents fall to 1-32, came into the game in need of mercy.
The Mountaineers had won only one of five games and ranked outside the top 100 in all 31 of the statistical categories compiled by the NCAA. Mount St. Mary's, a liberal arts Catholic college in Emmitsburg, Md., was outside the top 200 of the 351 Division I schools in 21 statistical categories.
It took a while for Kentucky to impose its will. UK only led 39-34 at halftime.
The first half contained more of the same poor 3-point shooting by Kentucky. UK made only 1 of 5 3-point shots. Tyrese Maxey made the only 3-point shot. It came with 1:48 left and put UK ahead 37-30. That was the first of two times the Cats led by as many as seven points.
A big surprise came at the foul line. In the season's first four games, UK made more free throws (97) than the opponents attempted (60).
But in the first half, Mount St. Mary's shot more free throws than Kentucky: 14-11.
Not that Kentucky did not show its signature approach of attacking the basket. UK outscored Mount St. Mary's 22-8 in points from the paint.
Richards set the tone early. He dunked twice inside the first 46 seconds, both times off passes from Ashton Hagans.
Later in the half, Mount St. Mary's Damian Chong Qui seemed to bedevil Richards. Twice the 5-foot-8 guard scored on Richards, the first time by driving around the UK "big" and then hitting a pull-up jumper.
Then with 2:27 left, Richards fouled Chong Qui about 70 feet from the basket. Calipari hopped off the bench and held his palms up as if to gesture a question: Why?
Kentucky got more breathing room in the second half. With Hagans defending Chong Qui, Mount St. Mary's made only one of its first eight shots.
Kentucky kept pounding away in the paint. A leaner by Hagans in the lane with 16:51 left gave UK its first double-digit lead (47-36). A dunk by Richards expanded the lead to 49-36 with 15:47 left.
You could say Kentucky Quickley expanded the lead. Quickley accounted for eight points in a 10-0 run that put the Cats ahead 59-39. He capped the breakout with a 3-pointer off a fast break. That prompted a Mount St. Mary's timeout with 13:13 left.
For Kentucky, the second half became a feast of 3-point baskets after the first half's famine. UK made its first four of the second half. The fourth _ by Kahlil Whitney _ gave the Cats their largest lead yet: 62-41 with 12:27 left.
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