Kentucky Men’s Basketball Postgame Notes
Vanderbilt at 23/19 Kentucky
Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky., Jan. 23, 2016
Attendance: 22,975
Final Score: Kentucky 76, Vanderbilt 57
Team Records and Series Notes
• Kentucky is now 15-4 on the season, 5-2 in Southeastern Conference action. Vanderbilt is 11-8 overall, 3-4 in league play.
• Kentucky leads the all-time series 141-46 and has won three in a row.
• Next for the Wildcats: UK plays host to Missouri on Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
In the First Half
• Kentucky started with the lineup of Tyler Ulis, Isaiah Briscoe, Jamal Murray, Derek Willis and Alex Poythress for the second game in a row.
• Poythress scored baskets on UK’s first two possessions and the Wildcats led the rest of the way.
• Ulis extended Kentucky’s streak of at least 958 games with at least one 3-pointer when he connected at the 16:07 mark.
• Ahead 17-14, UK extended its lead to 13 points (29-16) with a 12-2 run.
• Kentucky went to halftime ahead 37-27, limiting VU to 33.3 shooting in the opening stanza while committing only two turnovers on offense.
In the Second Half
• Vanderbilt cut the lead to seven points on two occasions early in the half but got no closer the rest of the way.
• With VU within seven at 41-34, UK responded with a 12-2 run to give the Wildcats a 17-point lead at 53-36. UK later tacked on a 9-1 run for a 21-point edge at 67-46.
• The Wildcats eventually led by 23 at 76-53.
Team Notes
• Kentucky extended its home-court winning streak to 31 games.
• Kentucky shot 55 percent from the field, its best this season against an SEC opponent. UK is 9-0 this season when shooting at least 50 percent.
• UK had only seven turnovers today. The Wildcats have had back-to-back games with their fewest miscues of the season — six at Arkansas followed by seven today.
• UK tied the Commodores in rebounding at 32 each. UK has a 14-1 record this season when winning or tying the rebounding but is 1-3 when losing the carom gathering.
• UK has had a player score at least 20 points in all seven SEC games this season. The last time UK had a player score at least 20 in the first seven SEC games was 2009.
• Kentucky extended its streak of 958 consecutive games with at least one 3-point basket.
Coach John Calipari
• Since arriving at Kentucky for the 2009-10 season, Calipari has a 100-25 record against Southeastern Conference competition, including SEC Tournaments. He did it in his first 125 games against league competition, tied for the second-fastest to 100 wins among UK coaches.
• 119 games – Adolph Rupp
• 125 games – John Calipari
• 125 games – Rick Pitino
• 126 games – Tubby Smith
• 138 games – Joe B. Hall
• Calipari has a 650-182 (.781) all-time record, including a 205-42 (.830) mark at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 113-4 (.966) in Rupp Arena. Calipari has two of the longest three win streaks in Rupp Arena history – 54 by Calipari, 33 by Rick Pitino, 31 by Calipari.
Player Notes
• Sophomore Tyler Ulis had game highs with 21 points and five assists.
• It is Ulis’ seventh 20-point game of the season.
• Making his only attempt tonight, Ulis has hit 27 of 28 free throws (.964) over the last four games.
• He is the first Wildcat with at least four assists in 12 consecutive games since Sean Woods had at least four in 13 straight games in the 1990-91 season.
• Freshman Jamal Murray had 18 points, his 17th consecutive double-figure game, while adding a game-high three steals.
• Murray has scored at least 12 points in 18 of his first 19 UK games. Only Cotton Nash (12+ in 35 of his first 36 games) and Bill Spivey (12+ in 24 of his first 25) have better starts.
• He has made at least one 3-point shot in every game this season, the first player in program history to make a triple in each of his first 19 collegiate games.
• After starting the game with two baskets, senior Alex Poythress finished with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting. UK is 7-0 this season when he scores in double figures.
• Junior Derek Willis had seven points and led the Wildcats in rebounding with nine.
• Willis made both of his free throws and is now 14 of 14 at the foul line this season.
• Willis scored 77 points in his first 40 games as a Wildcat; he has now scored 76 in his last 12 games.
