Kentucky Men’s Basketball Postgame Notes
No. 9/8 Kentucky at Alabama
Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Jan. 9, 2016
Attendance: 15,383
Final Score: Kentucky 77, Alabama 61
Team Records and Series Notes
• Kentucky is now 12-3 (2-1 Southeastern Conference) on the season and Alabama is 9-5 (0-2 SEC)
• Kentucky is 1-2 in true road games this season.
• Kentucky leads the all-time series 106-37
• Kentucky leads 30-23 in Tuscaloosa.
• Kentucky has won two in a row in Tuscaloosa.
• Kentucky has won four in a row in the series.
• Next for the Wildcats: Kentucky returns to Rupp Arena against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 7 p.m., televised by ESPN.
In the First Half
• Kentucky started with the lineup of Tyler Ulis, Isaiah Briscoe, Jamal Murray, Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee for the third game in a row, and the fourth time this season.
• Poythress scored the first five points of the game.
• Poythress and Murray combined to score all of UK’s first 27 points. Ulis (6) and junior Mychal Mulder (3) scored nine of UK’s 11 pts over the last 3:56 of the half.
• Kentucky held Alabama to one assist and only two offensive rebounds in the first half.
• Kentucky’s largest first-half lead was 16 at the 1:15 mark.
In the Second Half
• Alabama cut the Kentucky lead to six at the 16:43 mark.
• Kentucky outscored Alabama 16-8 over the following 7:33 to open up a 14-point lead, 58-44 with 8:57 to play.
• Kentucky opened up the lead to as much as 19 (75-56) with 0:51 to play.
Team Notes
• Kentucky extended its streak of 954 consecutive games with at least one 3-point basket when Murray connected from distance at the 15:41 mark in the first half.
• Coach John Calipari has a 647-181 (.781) all-time record, including a 202-41 (.831) mark at Kentucky.
• Kentucky is 125-5 (.962) under Coach Calipari when limiting the opponent to 63 or fewer points.
• Kentucky shot 55 percent (28 of 51) from the field, its second best output of the season (56 percent on 28 of 50 vs. Albany on Nov. 13, 2015).
• Kentucky made two 3s, tying the Wright State and Illinois State games for the fewest in a game this season.
• Kentucky’s nine 3-point field-goal attempts was a season low.
• Kentucky’s two steals were the fewest in a game this year.
• Alabama attempted 24 3-pointers, tied for the most by a UK opponent this year (Boston U).
• Alabama blocked seven shots, tying Ohio State for the second most blocks by a UK opponent this year (Duke – 8).
Player Notes
• Senior Alex Poythress scored a career- high 25 points.
• He had 17 in the opening half – the most in his career in a road SEC game.
• He made nine free throws, a career high.
• Sophomore Tyler Ulis had eight points, eight assists and five rebounds
• He’s the first UK player with at least four assists in eight consecutive games since Marcus Teague in 2011-12.
• Freshman Jamal Murray had 21 points and five rebounds.
• He’s the first UK freshman since 1972-73 to score at least 20 points in his first two-career SEC road games.
• Junior Marcus Lee had eight points and 11 rebounds.
• It was the most rebounds he has had since grabbing 12 vs. Illinois State.
• Freshman Isaiah Briscoe had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.
• It’s the most points for him since scoring 10 against EKU on Dec. 9.
• Junior Mychal Mulder hit a 3-pointer for the second-straight game. He finished with three points and four rebounds.
