UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY at TEXAS A&M
REED ARENA | BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
JAN. 19, 2022
ATTENDANCE: 14,036 – largest in Reed Arena history

Final Score: No. 12 Kentucky 64, (RV) Texas A&M 58
 
Team Records, Series Notes, Etc.

• Kentucky won its fourth consecutive game, and eighth in the last nine games, to move to 15-3 on the season and 5-1 in the Southeastern Conference.
• Texas A&M ended an eight-game win streak and is now 15-3, 4-1 in the league.
• Tonight’s game marked the second of five games against teams that had a combined record of 64-13 when the stretch began Jan. 15.

• The Wildcats lead the series, 12-4, and have won the last three games vs. the Aggies.
  • UK leads the series 5-2 in games played in Bryan-College Station.
• Next for Kentucky: UK concludes the two-game road swing Saturday at No. 2-ranked Auburn.  The game will be televised by CBS at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT in Auburn).

 
Team Notes

• Playing in front of the largest crowd in Reed Arena history, despite a season-high-tying 17 turnovers and a season-low-tying 36.2% shooting night, UK gutted out a 64-58 victory.
• The 64 points scored is the fewest in a Kentucky victory since a 62-58 win over Houston in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
• Limiting Texas A&M to 58 points, UK is 10-0 this season and 198-9 (.956) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 63 or fewer. 
• TAMU shot 39.4 percent from the field (26 of 66). UK is 9-0 this season and 218-24 (.901) under Calipari when opponents shoot 40% or less. 
• With TAMU shooting 4.5% from 3-point range (1 of 22), this was Kentucky’s best 3-point field goal percentage defense ever in a game in which the opponent attempted at least 20 3-pointers.
• UK won the rebounding, 43-40, and is 15-1 this season when winning the boardwork.
  • The Wildcats also claimed 15 offensive rebounds, leading to an 18-11 advantage in second-chance points.
• Free-throw shooting also proved pivotal.  Kentucky made 69.2% at the charity stripe (18 of 26) while the homestanders converted just 5 of 13 for 38.5%.

 
Player Notes  

• Sahvir Wheeler led the Wildcats with 12 points and four assists.

• Davion Mintz continued his recent hot run with 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

  • He is averaging 12.3 points per game over the last six contests.
  • He is 14 of 28 (50 percent) from behind the 3-point line over the last five games.
• Jacob Toppin came off the bench with nine points, six rebounds and two assists, with most of the stats coming in the second half.
• Oscar Tshiebwe garnered eight points and 14 rebounds, and for the second game in a row, had a career-high-tying three steals.
  • The nation’s leading rebounder has grabbed double-figure boards in all but two games this season.

 
Coach Calipari

• John Calipari is now 354-96 at UK.
• Calipari is now one win short of career win No. 800 and has a 799-236 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 289-56 against unranked competition under Calipari.
• Calipari is now 11-3 vs. Texas A&M, including 10-3 at Kentucky.
• Calipari has tallied a 372-117 all-time record within conference play as a head coach and owns a 164-51 record since joining the SEC.

 
In the First Half

• The starting lineup featured Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington Jr., Kellan Grady, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe for the second consecutive game. UK is 12-3 with that starting lineup this season.
• Jacob Toppin was UK’s first substitute at the 16-minute mark.
• Missing 11 of their first 14 shots, the Wildcats never led in the first half.
• Ahead 16-12, Texas A&M went on a 9-0 run for a 25-12 advantage.  The 13-point deficit was UK’s largest since a 15-point deficit vs. Duke in the season opener.
• Trailing 29-16 with 5:57 remaining, UK chipped away, and Wheeler’s driving layup brought the Wildcats to within 35-30 at halftime.
• The 30 points tied UK’s fewest of the first half this season, also at Notre Dame and LSU. 
• Wheeler led the Wildcats in the first half with nine points and Tshiebwe collected 10 rebounds.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
• A pair of free throws by Brooks and a 3-pointer by Wheeler tied the game at 35 with 18:42 left.
• UK then created two possessions with a chance for its first lead of the game but did not score.
• Texas A&M surged with a 6-1 run to reestablish a 41-36 lead and UK called timeout at 16:11.
• Trailing 47-41, an 8-1 rally gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game, 49-48, with 9:00 left.
• Tied at 54, a feed from Davion Mintz led to a Toppin dunk with 6:19 remaining and the Wildcats never trailed again.
• With UK nursing a 60-58 lead, UK held TAMU scoreless for the final 2:47 of the game, covering the final five Aggie possessions.
• Ahead 61-58 with 10.4 seconds left, Mintz rattled home the first of a 1-and-1 to make it 62-58.
• Tshiebwe made two foul shots with 2.2 seconds left for the final margin.
• Kentucky limited Texas A&M to 23 points on 29.4% shooting in the second half.
• The Wildcats got a depth charge in the second half, as Toppin came off the bench with seven points and three rebounds while Mintz had six points and seven boards in the final stanza.