Kentucky scored first on a Malachi Moreno layup, but JMU responded with a three to lead by one. After a Diallo layup, JMU struck from deep again and took a 6-4 lead. Milan Momcilovic hit a three to give UK the lead, but JMU took it right back with a layup on their end.
Wilkins hit a three to give UK a 10-8 lead. Diallo scored on a layup and free throw, then hit a shot from beyond the arc, giving the Cats a 16-8 advantage. However, JMU scored the next seven to get within one.
A McBride layup made it 18-15 UK, but the Dukes tied the game on a three-pointer. Kentucky took the lead back on a Moreno free throw, but JMI tied the game with a free throw of their own.
A Mason Williams three gave Kentucky a 22-19 lead and a McBride three extended the margin to six. However, JMU got a four-point play to get within two, 25-23. After a McBride free throw, the Dukes scored to get within one. However, the Cats got buckets from Braydon Hawthrorne and Franck Kepnang to lead 30-25.
A Moreno dunk extended the lead to seven, but JMU hit another three to get within four, 32-28. After a McBride free throw, the Dukes hit their sixth three of the half, and UK’s lead was down to two, 33-31.
Hawthorne scored again before JMU hit yet another three to get within one, 35-34. The Dukes then took the lead before Williams hit a floater in the lane to give the Cats a 37-36 advantage. JMU took the lead back but just before the half, Diallo scored on a driving layup to tie the game at 39-39. That would be the halftime score.
Diallo started the second-half scoring before JMU hit a three to take a 42-41 lead. UK then got a Moreno free throw and layups from Diallo and Wilkins to take a 46-42 lead. After a JMU bucket, Diallo scored again to increase the margin to four. However, the Dukes answered to cut the UK lead to 48-46.
A Moreno bucket gave UK a four-point lead but JMU hit two free throws to cut the UK lead in half. The Dukes took the lead on a three before Momcilovic scored at the rim to give the Cats a 52-51 advantage. However, JMU scored on the other end to lead 53-52.
A Wilkins basket gave UK the lead back, but the Dukes made their 12th three-pointer of the game to lead 56-54. Williams tied the game with a jumper in the lane and Wilkins gave the Cats the lead with a corner three. McBride followed with a three of his own, followed by a triple from Ousmane N’Diaye as UK took a 65-56 lead.
The Dukes would score to cut the UK lead to seven, but Wilkins hit a pair of free throws, making it 67-58. JMU hit a free throw before a Hawthorne layup gave the Cats a 69-59 advantage. After a JMU bucket, Kam Williams made a pair of free throws, his first points of the season, and UK again had a 10-point lead.
JMU scored again, but Williams answered to keep the lead at 10. The Dukes scored five in a row to cut the UK lead to 73-68, but the Cats got threes from Williams and McBride to lead 79-68.
From there, the Cats would lead by as many as 14 before settling for a nine-point win.
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday, facing Kansas in the State Farm Champions Classic in Chicago. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on ESPN.