Kentucky-Alabama Men's Basketball Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY
FEB. 24, 2024
ATTENDANCE: 20,342

Final Score: No. 17 Kentucky 117, No. 13 Alabama 95

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 19-8 on the season, 9-5 in the Southeastern Conference.
• Alabama is 19-8 overall, 11-3 in league play.

• Kentucky leads the series 117-41, including 60-11 in games played in Lexington.
• Next for Kentucky: on Tuesday, the Wildcats play at Mississippi State. Game time is 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT in Starkville) and it will be televised on ESPN.

Team Notes

• The game totaled 212 points, matching two of the three highest scoring offenses in the nation – Alabama first at 91.0 points per game and Kentucky third at 87.6 ppg.
• 117 points is most ever for Kentucky …
  • Alabama (previous 111 on Feb. 26, 1973)
  • an Associated Press ranked opponent (previous 113 vs. No. 13 Notre Dame on Dec. 28, 1974)
  • an SEC opponent since 120 at Vanderbilt on Feb. 7, 1996
  • an SEC opponent in Rupp Arena since 127 vs. LSU on March 4, 1995
• Kentucky led by as many as 37 points. UK is 346-17 (95.3%) under Coach John Calipari when leading by at least 10 points during the game.
• Kentucky shot 63.1% from the field (41 of 65), second-highest of the season and ninth-highest in the Calipari era. UK is 11-0 this season making at least 50% from the field.
• UK shot 54.2% from 3-point range (13 of 24).
  • UK entered the game leading the nation in 3-point shooting at 40.5%.
  • UK is 7-0 this season when making at least 45% from distance.
• UK had 24 assists and 10 turnovers, a +2.4 ratio. UK entered the game 11^th in the nation with a ratio of +1.67.
• UK had seven blocked shots. UK entered the game fourth nationally in blocks with 6.2 rejections per game.
• UK won turnovers 16-10, turning it into a 29-10 margin in points off turnovers.
• Kentucky has five 100-point games this season, tying 2016-17 for the most in the Calipari era.
• Including Justin Edwards today, Kentucky now has six players who has scored at least 20 points in a game this season.
• Kentucky is 4-2 this season against opponents ranked in the top 25.
• Kentucky is 7-1 this season in bounce-back games after losses.
• With Tre Mitchell shelved with a shoulder injury, UK has not played a complete game this season with all players available.
  • Including today, eight players have missed a total of 51 games because of injury, illness or other factors. Among those who play regularly, Antonio Reeves, Reed Sheppard and Jordan Burks are the only ones who have been available every game.

Player Notes

• Antonio Reeves had 24 points.
  • He has 15 games with at least 20 points this season and has scored in double figures in every game but one this season.
  • He also has hit at least one 3-pointer in every game but one this season.
• Rob Dillingham had 16 points, his 22^nd double-figure game of the season.
• Justin Edwards had a career-high 28 points, making 10 of 10 from the field, including all four of his 3-point tries.
  • 10 of 10 is the third-best perfect shooting game in Kentucky. The other marks are Rodney Dent, 12 of 12 vs. Morehead State on Dec. 17, 1993 and Kenny Walker, 11 of 11 vs. Western Kentucky on March 16, 1986.
• Adou Thiero had 12 points. It’s his fourth double-figure game of the season but three of those are in the last five games.  He’s averaging 10.6 points in the last five games.  Thiero was hit two three-pointers on the night, the first game of his career with multiple makes from deep
• Reed Sheppard led the Wildcats in rebounding with eight, assists with six and steals with four. He added eight points.
  • This is the fourth straight game, and fifth in the last six, with at least four steals.
  • He now has 74 steals on the season, already tied for fourth on the UK single-season list.
• Zvonimir Ivisic set career highs in points (18), field goals (7) and blocks (4).
  • He also played a career-high 20 minutes

Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has an 851-261 (76.5%) all-time on-court record, including 406-121 (77.0%) at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 73-51 against ranked opponents while at Kentucky, including 47-36 against teams ranked inside the top 15.
• Calipari is 402-131 in conference games during his career, including 194-65 in the SEC.
• Calipari is 20-7 vs. Alabama.

In the First Half

• Kentucky started J. Wagner, Antonio Reeves, Justin Edwards, Adou Thiero and Ugonna Onyenso for the third straight game. UK is 2-1 with this lineup.
• Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard were UK’s first substitutions with 17:41 remaining.
• Alabama was up 29-28 when UK went on a 20-2 run for a 48-31 lead.
• Shooting 64.5 percent from the field, Kentucky led 58-42 at halftime.
  • It is UK’s most points in the first half this season in an SEC game and sixth time this season with at least 50 in the opening half.
  • Reeves led UK with 15 points and Edwards had 13.
• UK is 17-3 this season when leading at halftime.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
• Ahead 68-54, a 12-0 run lengthened the lead to 26 points (80-54) with 14 minutes to go.
• UK hit the century mark, 101-65, on an Ivisic dunk at the 8:48 mark.
• Kentucky’s largest lead was 37 points at 104-67.