Lexington, KY -- (Sports Network) - DeMarcus Cousins finished with 27 points and 18 rebounds and No. 4 Kentucky withstood a three-point barrage from Sam Houston State to come away with a 102-92 victory in the first round of the Cancun Challenge.

Patrick Patterson had 20 points and nine boards for the Wildcats, who got all their scoring production from the starting five. John Wall, who hit a last- second shot to knock off Miami-Ohio on Monday, chipped in 21 points and six assists, while Eric Bledsoe added 19 points and six helpers in the win.

Corey Allmond shot a sensational 11-for-16 from three-point range in a 37-point effort for the Bearkats (2-1), who routed Letourneau and Texas College in their first two games this season1.

Gilberto Clavell hit just 3-for-12 from the field for 14 points in the loss.

Wall's dunk capped an 11-0 Kentucky run early in the game. The Bearkats stayed close via the three-ball, hitting 12-of-21 from behind the arc in the first half, highlighted by Allmond's 8-of-11 effort.

Allmond hit three straight from behind the arc in the final two minutes to pull Sam Houston State within 50-42, but Darius Miller was true from downtown in the closing seconds to give Kentucky an 11-point cushion at the break.

The hosts came out of the locker room on a 10-3 run to open up a 63-45 lead, but Sam Houston State kept chipping away.

Yet another Allmond trey cut the deficit to 74-62 with roughly 12 minutes left, and Clavell capped a 9-2 run with a layup at the seven-minute mark to make it a single-digit game, 81-73.

Kentucky's prowess took over from there, as Bledsoe hit a three to finish off eight straight points for the Wildcats. Cousins' three-point play at the three-minute mark made it 98-82, and it was a double-digit affair the rest of the game.

Game Notes

Kentucky will next play Rider in the Cancun Challenge, while Sam Houston will travel to Cleveland State for its second Classic contest...Allmond's 11 three- pointers set a new Rupp Arena record...Sam Houston State shot better from downtown (18-of-38, 47.4 percent) than from inside the arc (11-of-39, 28.2 percent)...Kentucky turned the ball over 23 times, compared to 12 giveaways for the Bearkats...Miller had 15 points for Kentucky, while Preston Brown scored 11 for Sam Houston State.