Kentucky-Wright State Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY.
NOV. 4, 2024
ATTENDANCE: 19,635

Final Score: No. 23 Kentucky 103, Wright State 62

Team Records and Series Notes

This was the season opener for both teams.
- This was the second time Kentucky played Wright State in the season opener, also Dec. 2, 1992, an 81-65 UK win in Lexington.
Kentucky leads the series 5-0, including 4-0 in Lexington.
The Wildcats return to action Saturday, Nov. 9, at home vs. Bucknell. Game time is 4 p.m. and it will be televised on SEC Network+.

UK in Openers

Beginning its 123^rdseason of men’s basketball, UK now has a 101-21 record in season lidlifters (no official games played in the 1952-53 season).
UK is 106-16 all-time in home openers.
UK is 45-4 in the first game played in Rupp Arena.
The Wildcats are 8-0 in a head coach’s debut dating back to Adolph Rupp’s first game in December 1930.

Team Notes

103 points is the most in a season opener since Nov. 11, 2011, when Kentucky scored 108 vs. Marist.
Six players scored in double figures
- The last time six Wildcats scored in double figures was March 2 against Arkansas.
Kentucky notched an assist on 30 of its 39 baskets tonight, an assist rate of 76.9%.
- That follows a 70.2 assist rate in the two exhibition games.
- Six players had at least three assists tonight, and three had at least five.
Kentucky never trailed in this game as there was one tie (2-2) and no lead changes.
Kentucky is 662-85 (88.6%) in the 49-year history of Rupp Arena.

Player Notes

Amari Williams notched a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, his 25^th career double-double.
Otega Oweh tallied 21 points, just two shy of his career best, and had a career-high three 3-pointers.
- He also had three steals, tying Butler for game-high honors.
Koby Brea notched 18 points, just four away from his career best, and hit all four 3-point shots.
Lamont Butler scored 14 points and matched Oweh with a game-high three steals.
- Butler, Kerr Kriisa and Brandon Garrison each led the Cats with five assists.
Andrew Carr andAnsley Almonor also hit double digits with 11 points each.

Coach Mark Pope

Mark Pope, who wore jersey #41 during his playing days, won his debut as the Kentucky coach by a 41-point margin.
103 points is the most for a Kentucky coach in his debut game. The previous high was 88 points vs. Morehead State in Orlando “Tubby” Smith’s first game on Nov. 20, 1997.
Pope won his seventh season opener in a row, including his final season at Utah Valley and all five openers at BYU.
Winning his first game at Kentucky, Mark Pope’s career record is now 188-108.

In the First Half

Kentucky’s starters were Lamont Butler, Otega Oweh, Jaxson Robinson, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams.
- First substitutions were Koby Brea and Brandon Garrison at the 14:44 mark.
On the first possession, the season’s first basket was by Carr on a lob from Williams.
- Williams was part of UK’s first three baskets with an assist to Oweh and his own driving dunk.
All five starters scored before the first media timeout.
A 10-0 run, sparked by eight points by Brea, gave the Wildcats a 27-11 lead.
Kentucky led 46-24 at halftime, its largest lead of the opening stanza.
- The Wildcats “eight” ‘em up in the first half as five players tallied eight points – Oweh, Robinson, Brea, Carr and Williams.
- UK limited Wright State to 27.8 percent field goal shooting, 10 of 36.

In the Second Half

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