UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY at VANDERBILT
MEMORIAL GYMNASIUSM | NASHVILLE, TENN.
JAN. 11, 2022
ATTENDANCE: 8,343

Final Score: No. 18/17 Kentucky 78, Vanderbilt 66
 
Team Records, Series Notes, Etc.

• Kentucky won its second consecutive game and its sixth in the last seven games to move to 13-3 on the season and 3-1 in the Southeastern Conference. Vanderbilt dropped to 9-6 in the league and 1-2 league play.
  • UK has started at least 3-1 in league play in every season of the John Calipari era but one: the 2010-11 year.
• The Wildcats improved to 152-47 all-time vs. the Commodores, including 61-29 in games played in Nashville, Tennessee.
  • Kentucky has won 11 straight in the series, its best winning streak vs. Vanderbilt since winning 18 consecutive times from the 1992-93 season to 2001-02. It’s the fourth-longest winning streak against UK’s second-most played opponent.
  • The Wildcats have won the last six games in Memorial Gymnasium.

• Next up: Kentucky hosts border-state rival Tennessee on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Rupp Arena. ESPN will have the call of UK’s most played opponent.

 
Team Notes

• The Wildcats notched their first true road victory of the season in their third opportunity of the season.
  • UK is 2-3 in games away from Rupp Arena this season when factoring in neutral-site games.
• All 13 of Kentucky’s wins this season have been by double figures.
• Kentucky controlled the rebounding 42-26 and have won the boardwork by double-figure margins in 12 games this season, all wins.
• UK shot 52.5% (31 of 59), the team’s eighth game making at least half of its shots this season, including the second in a row. The Wildcats are 8-0 in those games.
  • Kentucky has shot 50% or better in five of the last seven games.
• Kentucky dominated in the paint with a 36-18 points advantage. 
• The Wildcats had just nine turnovers, the second straight game with single-figure turnovers.
• Kentucky led by as many as 28 points in the second half. The Wildcats are 299-12 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points during the game.

 
Player Notes  

• Oscar Tshiebwe dominated again with team highs in points (30, also a career high) and rebounds (13), notching his 12th double-double of the season.

  • He is the first UK player with at least 30 points and at least 10 rebounds in a game since Patrick Patterson recorded 33 points and 11 rebounds vs. Tennessee State on Dec. 22, 2008.
  • He is averaging 29.5 points and 15 rebounds over this last two games.
  • His 30 points are the most by a Wildcat since Immanuel Quickley scored 30 at Texas A&M on Feb. 25, 2020.
  • He remains second nationally in double-doubles.
  • The nation’s leading rebounder has grabbed double-figure boards in all but two games this season.
  • It was his sixth 20-point game of the season.
  • He is the first Wildcat with five games of at least 20 points and at least 10 rebounds since Julius Randle did it seven times in 2013-14.
• Coming off a school-record assists performance (17 vs. Georgia), TyTy Washington Jr. posted 15 points, four rebounds and four assists.
  • It was his 12th game in double-figure scoring, including five of the last six.
  • He is averaging 15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 54.2% in UK’s 13 wins.

• Davion Mintz, continued his recent strong play with nine points.

  • Mintz made 3 of 5 from 3-point range and is 11 of 20 (55%) from behind the 3-point line over the last three games.
  • He is averaging 13.5 points per game over the last four contests.
• Keion Brooks Jr. contributed nine points, five rebounds and two assists.
• Sahvir Wheeler, who entered Tuesday ranked third nationally in assists per game (7.3), missed his second straight game with a neck injury he suffered Tuesday at LSU. He remains day-to-day.

 
Coach Calipari

• John Calipari is now 352-96 at UK.
• Calipari is now three wins short of career win No. 800 and has a 797-236 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 288-56 under Calipari vs. opponents ranked outside the Associated Press Top 25.
• Calipari is now 22-4 all-time vs. Vanderbilt.
• Calipari has tallied a 370-117 all-time record within conference play as a head coach and owns a 162-51 record since joining the SEC.
• Calipari improved to 113-55 on the road as Kentucky’s lead man.

 
In the First Half

• With Sahvir Wheeler unavailable due to a neck injury suffered last week LSU, Kentucky started TyTy Washington Jr., Davion Mintz, Kellan Grady, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe for the first time this season.  
• Oscar Tshiebwe opened the game by winning the tip and scoring on a turnaround bank shot.
• UK scored on its first three possessions – including five points by Washington – for a game-opening 7-0 run.
• Vanderbilt answered with a 6-0 run soon after to cut Kentucky’s lead to 9-8.
• UK opened it back up with an 8-0 spurt to increase its advantage to 17-8.
  • Washington (nine) and Tshiebwe (eight) combined for UK’s first 17 points.
• Jacob Toppin was the Wildcats’ first sub at 12:19 for Brooks.
• With a combination of turnovers and missed shots, UK went more than five minutes without a point, at which point Vanderbilt capitalized with an 11-0 run to tie the game at 22-22 at the 7:08 mark, forcing John Calipari to burn a timeout. 
• Grady snapped the run out of the timeout with a pull-up 3 and continued the game of runs as UK reeled off 14 straight over less than four minutes retake the lead, 36-22.
• Making 17 of 28 from the floor (60.7%), Kentucky took a 41-28 lead to the halftime locker room. UK is 13-1 this season when leading at the half.
  • Kentucky’s 60.7% mark from the field was a first-half season high.
  • UK was 4 of 5 from 3-point land, including 2 of 2 from Mintz.
• Tshiebwe led the Wildcats with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting to go along with seven rebounds.
  • His 15 points are the most by a UK player in the first half this season.
• Washington performed wonderfully too with 11 points, two assists and a steal.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the same starting five of Washington, Mintz, Grady, Brooks and Tshiebwe.
• Kentucky maintained a double-figure lead the entire half.
• A 14-2 run stretched the UK lead to its largest of the game, 78-50, with six minutes remaining. 
• Oddly, the Wildcats went scoreless the rest of the way as Vanderbilt closed the game with a 16-0 run. 
• Nearly duplicating his first-half output, Tshiebwe collected 15 points and six rebounds in the second stanza.