The second-seeded Wildcats from Kentucky cruised to a 79-44 victory over Abilene Christian to open NCAA Tournament play in Jacksonville.
Making their NCAA Tournament debut, the Wildcats from Central Texas struggled to get out of the gate. Kentucky took an 8-0 lead that quickly turned into an 18-3 lead after only eight minutes of action.
With Washington on the sidelines in a cast on his sprained left foot, E.J. Montgomery earned the start and grabbed 11 rebounds. Reid Travis picked up the slack in the post with 18 points and nine boards, while Keldon Johnson led the team in scoring with 25 points.