Kentucky-Auburn Men's Basketball Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NEVILLE ARENA | AUBURN, ALA.
FEB. 17, 2024
ATTENDANCE: 9,121

Final Score: No. 22/20 Kentucky 70, No. 13/12 Auburn 59

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 18-7 on the season, 8-4 in the Southeastern Conference.
• Auburn is 20-6 overall, 9-4 in league play.
• Kentucky leads the series, 98-23 and has won two in a row.
  • UK leads 32-18 in games played in Auburn although the Tigers had won the three previous matchups in Neville Arena.
  • Auburn entered the game with a 49-2 home record over the last three seasons, including 13-0 this year. AU had a +22.3 average scoring margin in its six SEC home games this season.

• Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats complete the two-game road swing Wednesday at LSU. Game time is 9 p.m. Eastern (8 p.m. Central in Baton Rouge), televised by ESPN.

Team Notes

• Kentucky is now 7-3 away from Rupp Arena this season, including 5-2 on opponents’ home courts.
• Kentucky limited Auburn to 59 points. UK is now 219-10 (95.6%) under Coach John Calipari when keeping the opponent to 63 or fewer, including 5-0 this season.
  • 59 points is the fewest Auburn had scored at home this season.
• Kentucky held Auburn to 0.91 points per possession. UK is 9-0 this season when keeping the opponent at 1.00 points per possession or less.
• Kentucky held Auburn to 30.9% from the field, 17 of 55. It is UK’s best defensive shooting percentage of the season.
  • UK is 241-24 (90.9%) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 40 percent or less from the field.
• Auburn shot 18.2% from 3-point range, making 4 of 22. It is the third straight game for the UK opponent to shoot less than 23% from long distance.
• Kentucky won the rebounding, 39-36. UK capitalized on its offensive rebounds, scoring 20 points on its offensive boards.
  • UK is 12-0 this season when winning the rebounding.
• Kentucky led by as many as 16 points. UK is 345-16 (95.6%) under Coach John Calipari when leading by at least 10 points during the game.
• With Tre Mitchell shelved with a shoulder injury, UK has not played a complete game this season with all players available.
  • Including tonight, eight players have missed a total of 49 games because of injury, illness or other factors. Among regular players, Antonio Reeves, Reed Sheppard and Jordan Burks are the only ones who have been available every game.

Player Notes

• Antonio Reeves notched 22 points, including 13 in the second half to help the Wildcats hold off the roaming Tigers.
  • He has 13 games with at least 20 points and has scored in double figures in every game but one this season.
• With Tre Mitchell sidelined, Adou Thiero played a career-high 33 minutes. He totaled 14 points, his third double-figure effort of the season, including 6 of 6 at the foul line.
• Although foul trouble limited him to 18 minutes, Robert Dillingham had 11 points, his 20^th double-figure game of the season. He chipped in three assists as well.
• Playing a career-high 36 minutes, Ugonna Onyenso led the Wildcats with 11 boards, his third double-figure rebounding game of the season. He added seven points.
  • He also made all three of his field goal attempts, his second game in a row perfect from the field, as he made 3 of 3 in the win over Ole Miss.
• For the third time in the last four games, SEC steals leader Reed Sheppard had five thefts. He has had at least two thefts in 20 of 25 games. He added four points and three assists.

Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has an 850-260 (76.6%) all-time on-court record, including 405-120 (77.1%) at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 72-51 against ranked opponents while at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 401-130 in conference games during his career, including 194-64 in the SEC.
• Calipari is 15-6 vs. Auburn.

In the First Half

• Kentucky started J. Wagner, Antonio Reeves, Justin Edwards, Adou Thiero and Ugonna Onyenso for the first time. It is the seventh time in the last eight games that UK has started a first-time lineup.
• Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard were UK’s first substitutions with 16:32 remaining.
• Kentucky opened an 11-2 lead by the 14:27 mark.
• UK eventually stretched the lead to 12 points at 27-15 with 5:09 on the clock.
• UK was ahead 39-29 at halftime, with Dillingham leading the Wildcats with 11 points.
  • UK limited Auburn to 28.1% shooting (9 of 32), UK’s best first-half shooting defense of the season.
• UK is 16-2 this season when leading at halftime, including 10-0 when leading by at least 10 points at intermission.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
• Auburn got within five points at 47-42 and 49-44.
• At that point, UK went on a 15-4 run for its largest lead at 64-48 with 6:05 on the clock.
• Auburn rallied to cut it to seven points, 66-59, with 1:40 remaining but did not score again.