Men's Basketball

Dec. 7, 2014

Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery media-icon-photogallery.gif | USA Today media-icon-photogallery.gif

  • Kentucky is 9-0 and Eastern Kentucky is 4-3.
  • Kentucky leads the series, 11-0.
  • Kentucky is 187-27 all-time when ranked No. 1 and has won 27 of the last 29 games as The Associated Press top-ranked team.
    • Coach John Calipari has led three teams to a No. 1 ranking (Massachusetts, Memphis, Kentucky) and has a 71-9 record as the top-ranked coach, including 30-4 at UK.
  • Kentucky returns to action Wednesday at home against Columbia. Game time is 7 p.m. and it will be televised on ESPN2.

First-Half Facts

  • Kentucky’s opening lineup featured Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, Alex Poythress, Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein for the seventh time this season.
  • Kentucky scored the first five points of the game and never trailed as the Colonels made only one of their first 11 shots.
  • UK got the ball inside well as 10 of the Wildcats’ first 11 baskets were layups or dunks.
  • Andrew Harrison had five assists in the first 12:10 of the game.
  • Kentucky had five runs of at least 5-0 or better in the first half, including a 15-0 spurt to end the period and make the halftime score 41-14.
  • It was the eighth half of the season that UK had held its opponent under 20 points.

Second-Half Story

  • Kentucky started the second half with Andrew Harrison, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, Marcus Lee and Dakari Johnson.
  • EKU scored the first seven points of the half, cutting the lead to 41-21, but the Colonels got no closer.
  • For the second game in a row, Kentucky extended its streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer in the final three minutes of the game.  Andrew Harrison hit the big triple late in the Texas game and tonight it was Aaron who canned one with 2:57 remaining in the contest.
  • The Wildcats stretched the lead to as many as 34 points before finishing with an 82-49 victory.

Team Notes

  • Eastern Kentucky was limited to 26.1 percent from the field.  UK entered the game holding opponents to just 28.2 percent from the field, leading the nation in that category.
  • Kentucky has held all nine opponents under 40 percent shooting.
  • Kentucky has held six opponents under 30 percent from the field, including the last five in a row.
  • EKU’s 49 points is a season low for the Colonels. Eight of UK’s nine opponents (all except Boston) have scored their season-low against the Wildcats.
  • Key stat for Kentucky was points in the paint, as UK led that 52-20.
  • Kentucky blocked 11 shots, the fifth time in nine games that the Wildcats have reached double figures in rejections.
  • Kentucky featured balanced scoring as seven Wildcats had at least six points.
  • UK won bench points 34-19 and has won bench points every game this season.
  • Kentucky is now 46-0 under Coach Calipari when holding its opponent to 55 or fewer points, including the last five in a row and eight of nine games this season.

Player Notes

  • Karl-Anthony Towns had a career-high 19 points, including going 8-of-9 from the field. It is his fourth consecutive game in double figures. He also claimed nine rebounds.
  • Trey Lyles tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds, his first Wildcat double-double. It is his fourth game in double-figure scoring and a season high for rebounds.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein notched 11 points, his third consecutive double-figure effort.
  • Marcus Lee posted a season-best 10 points on 5-of-6 from the field.
  • In addition to his streak-extending 3-pointer, Aaron Harrison had a season-best six rebounds.
  • After getting five assists early in the game, Andrew Harrison finished with a season high of six.
  • Dominique Hawkins tallied a career-high six assists.

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