UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
BLUE-WHITE GAME
RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.
OCT. 29, 2021
ATTENDANCE: 17,133

Final Score: No. 10/11 Kentucky 95, Kentucky Wesleyan 72
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• UK improved to 139-12 all-time in exhibition games, including 3-0 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan College.
  • In official games, UK leads the KWC series 8-2-1, but the teams haven’t played in a game that’s counted since Dec. 10, 1938 (a 57-18 Kentucky win). 
• Kentucky has won its last 18 exhibition games dating back to Nov. 2, 2014, vs. Pikeville. The last loss was Aug. 17, 2014, vs. the Dominican Republic in the final game of the 2014 Big Blue Bahamas exhibition tour.
• The Wildcats will play another exhibition game on Nov. 5 vs. Miles College at 7 p.m. on SEC Network before beginning regular-season play.
• The Wildcats begin the 2021-22 regular season vs. No. 9/9 Duke on Nov. 9 at Madison Square Garden in New York as a part of the Champions Classic.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky shot 53.5% (38 of 71) from the floor. Kentucky Wesleyan shot 46.2% (30 of 65).   
• The Wildcats outrebounded the Panthers 39-31.
• UK dished out 20 assists with nine turnovers.
  • The Wildcats did not commit a turnover in the second half.
• Kentucky outscored KWC 21-0 in fast-break points.
• Ten Wildcats appeared in the game with five scoring in double figures.

 
Player Notes  

• Keion Brooks Jr. led the Wildcats with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 4 of 6 from behind the arc.

  • He added eight rebounds.
• TyTy Washington Jr. equaled Brooks with 18 points and did so on 7-of-9 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 night from 3-point range.
• Oscar Tshiebwe had a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in just 17 minutes.
• Sahvir Wheeler tied for the game high with six assists to go along with 10 points.
  • He also came up with a game-high three steals.
• Davion Mintz pitched in with 12 points and a game-high-tying six assists.

 
Coach Calipari

• UK is 36-1 in exhibition play under John Calipari.
• Calipari enters the season with a 784-233 all-time regular-season record and a 339-23 mark at Kentucky.

 
In the First Half

• Kentucky started Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington Jr., Kellan Grady, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe.
• Brooks came out firing with the game’s first five points and eight of its first two. He hit a 3-pointer on the first possession and then stole Kentucky Wesleyan’s first possession for a runout dunk. After a Washington Jr. slam, Brooks followed with another 3.
  • UK started the game on a 7-0 run.
• Freshmen Daimion Collins and Bryce Hopkins were the first subs of the game for UK. They checked in at the 15:53 mark and made an immediate impact. Collins blocked a shot on the first possession and Hopkins grabbed an offensive board and put it back in for a second-chance bucket.
• Leading 12-7, the Wildcats began pulling away. First was an 11-2 run – highlighted by two Lance Ware dunks – and then a 12-0 spurt to take a 35-14 lead. Tshiebwe started the run with five straight points.
• After leading by as much as 35-14 with 7:00 left in the first half, Kentucky got a bit careless with the ball. The Wildcats turned it over four straight possessions to help an 8-0 KWC run. That cut the Wildcats’ lead to 35-22 with 4:05 left in the half.
• Kentucky led 48-30 at the half.
• Brooks led the Wildcats with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3 of 5 from behind the arc. He also grabbed five boards.
• Tshiebwe added nine points and three rebounds in the first half.
• The Wildcats had six dunks in the first half.
• Kentucky dished out 11 assists but committed nine turnovers in the first half.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky started the second half with Wheeler, Washington, Brooks, Hopkins and Tshiebwe.
• Washington started cooking after halftime. He scored three straight jumpers for the Wildcats early in the second half, including a deep 3-pointer, to take a 62-36 lead.
• Washington was Kentucky’s top performer in the second half with 13 points. He was 5 for 7 from the floor after halftime with two 3-pointers.
• Wheeler scored eight points in the second half.
• Mintz pitched in with seven points after halftime.
• UK led by as many as 32 points at 79-47 with 7:46 left in the game.