Jerry Tipton on UK basketball

A sweet respite in a turbulent season.

That’s what Kentucky’s 92-49 victory over Florida International represented on Monday.

The Cats took the lead barely three minutes after tip-off and steadily expanded it. The margin reached 42 points with barely three minutes left in the game.

Kentucky, which is off to its worst start since the 1989-90 season, needed a feel-good game. The Cats improved to 6-6 overall going into Saturday’s game against arch-rival Louisville.

Florida International fell to 3-9 in losing its sixth straight.

Jodie Meeks matched his career high of 21 points. Ramel Bradley led the Cats with 22 points. Patrick Patterson added 20 and Joe Crawford 11.

Bradley became the 55th UK player to reach 1,000 points in his career.

Derrick Jasper played well in his second game of the season. He scored four points, matched a career-high 10 rebounds and handed out five assists in a demonstration of floor generalship.

All seemed on cruise control as Kentucky kept expanding its lead.

A 16-4 run put UK ahead 61-34.

UK shot well, defended with purpose and completely outplayed Florida International.

Four UK players reached double figures mid-way through the second half. The four were Jodie Meeks, Ramel Bradley, Patrick Patterson and Joe Crawford.

Bradley reached the 1,000-point plateau. Meeks eclipsed his previous career-high of four three-point baskets.

Kentucky matched its highest-scoring first half of the season in taking a 43-21 lead over Florida International at intermission.

Two baskets by Ramel Bradley in the final 35.2 seconds enabled UK to match the 43 first-half points scored against Texas Southern.

Each basket was memorable. On the first, Bradley drove on the fastbreak, cuffed the ball as if to start a behind-the-back pass to the left before bringing it back and completing the fastbreak himself.

On the second, Bradley stole Alex Galindo’s pass near halfcourt, then sped to the basket in less than three seconds for a layup at the buzzer.

The flurry was part of a 13 first-half for Bradley. He came into the game needing eight points to reach 1,000 for his career.

Good shooting enabled UK to have a big scoring first half. The Cats, who had made at least half their shots in the past four games, hit 12 of 24 in the first half.

Jodie Meeks hit three three-pointers, which left him one short of a career high.

Good shooting and stingy defense propelled Kentucky to a 28-15 lead at the third TV timeout.

The Cats made five of their first seven three-point shots. A three-pointer by Joe Crawford extended the lead to 28-12 with 6:58 left. That prompted a Florida International timeout. UK Coach Billy Gillispie said “good job” as his players approached the bench. He slapped palms with Crawford.

With 18:17 left in the first half, Joe Crawford and Derrick Jasper replaced Mark Coury and Ramon Harris for Kentucky.

That formed what seems like UK’s best lineup. They joined Patrick Patterson, Ramel Bradley and Jodie Meeks.

Coincidentally or not, UK scored five straight points to take a 5-2 lead into the first TV timeout.