KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES 
TENNESSEE at KENTUCKY
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY
MARCH 3, 2020 
ATTENDANCE: 20,413
 
Final Score: Tennessee 81, No. 6 Kentucky 73
 
Team Records and Series Notes                                       

• Kentucky is 24-6 overall, ending an eight-game winning streak. UK, which clinched its 49th Southeastern Conference regular-season championship on Saturday with a win over Auburn, is 14-3 in the SEC.
• Tennessee is 17-13, 9-8 in the SEC.

• UK leads the series 156-74 with the teams splitting the season series. On Feb. 8, UK won 77-64 in Knoxville.
  • UK leads 92-18 in games played in Lexington.
• Next up: Kentucky closes the regular season Saturday at Florida at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS. 

 
Player Notes   

• Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting.

  • It is his sixth 20-point game of the season and 22nd game in double figures.
• Immanuel Quickley had 15 points and tied his career high for steals with three.
  • He has been torrid in the second half over the last nine games, averaging 14.3 points in the second half alone during this nine-game stretch.
  • It is his 19th consecutive game in double figures, the most since Malik Monk had a 30-game streak during the 2016-17 season. 
  • Entering the game leading the SEC in free-throw percentage at 92.2 percent, he hit 3 of 3 tonight. He has made 20 in a row.
• Nick Richards recorded 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. It is his 23rd game in double figures this season.
• Ashton Hagans posted 11 points, his 20th double-figure game of the season, and four assists.
• Nate Sestina was honored before the game for Senior Night. He had two points and a rebound.
• Johnny Juzang scored six points, providing a first-half spark with a pair of 3-pointers.
  • Juzang had a season-high 13 points in the game in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Coach John Calipari 

• Calipari is now 329-77 at UK.
• He has a 774-217 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 266-44 vs. Associated Press unranked foes under Calipari.
• Kentucky is 150-41 under Calipari in SEC regular-season games.
• Calipari fell to 17-12 all-time vs. Tennessee.

Team Notes 

• Tennessee shot 52.8 % from the field, best by a UK SEC opponent this season and the first opponent to shoot 50% or better vs. UK since Ohio State and Utah did it in back-to-back games in the December trip to Las Vegas.      
  • The Wildcats are 0-3 this season when the opponent makes 50% or better from the field.
  • UK entered the game leading the SEC in field goal defense at 38.6%.
• Entering the game leading the SEC at 79.5% at the foul line, Kentucky made 17 of 20 free throws (85%).
  • UK has made at least 75% at the line in 13 straight games.
• In 23 of 30 games, the margin has been seven or fewer points in the last seven minutes.
  • This was the 16th game this season within one possession in the final six minutes.
• Kentucky led by as many as 17 points during the game. UK is 281-8 (.972) under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest.
  • It’s the first time the Wildcats have lost after by leading by as many as 17 points since also leading Tennessee and losing on Feb. 2, 2016, when Kentucky had a 21-point lead.
  • With an 11-point halftime lead, it’s the biggest halftime advantage UK has failed to capitalize on with a win in Rupp Arena since losing an 11-point halftime lead vs. Ole Miss on Feb. 14, 1998. The Wildcats would note lose again that season, winning the 1998 national championship.
• Tonight ended a 15-game home winning streak. UK finished the season 16-2 at Rupp Arena.
• This was Kentucky’s first loss on Senior Night since March 4, 2009 vs. Georgia.     

In the First Half 

• The starting lineup consisted of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, Nate Sestina and Nick Richards for the first time this season.

  • EJ Montgomery and Johnny Juzang were UK’s first substitutes at the 16:23 mark.
  • Sestina made his seventh start of the season and first since the Lamar game on Nov. 24.

• Maxey scored on a drive and a floater-and-one to give UK a 5-0 lead.
• A 7-0 Tennessee run gave the visitors their first lead at 9-7. 
• Kentucky came back with a 17-2 run for a 24-11 lead, the Wildcats’ largest advantage of the half.
• Tennessee responded with an 8-0 splash.
• A Sestina follow-dunk sent UK to halftime with a 42-31 lead.
  • Kentucky hit 55.2% from the field in the first half, including 4 of 5 on 3-point shots.
  • Key stat: Tennessee had eight first-half turnovers and the Wildcats turned them into 20 points – 2.5 points per turnover.  
  • UK is 19-3 this season when leading at intermission.

 In the Second Half 

• Kentucky opened the second half with Hagans, Quickley, Maxey, Montgomery and Richards.  
• UK got the first six points of the half, opening its largest lead at 48-31.
• With UK up 51-34, Tennessee got nine quick points to pull within 51-43 at the 13:58 mark.
• Trailing 60-53, a 10-0 run put the Volunteers ahead 63-60 with 6:12 to go.
• UK tied at 63, but an Yves Pons 3-pointer at 5:35 put Tennessee back in the lead and the Volunteers led the rest of the way.