Kentucky-Eastern Michigan Postgame Notes

Nov. 27, 2013

Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery

Kentucky is 6-1 and Eastern Michigan is 5-1.
Kentucky leads the series 2-0.
Kentucky is 47-6 all-time against teams currently comprising the Mid-American Conference.
Kentucky notched its 500th win in Rupp Arena. Kentucky has a 500-62 record (.890) in its 38 seasons in the facility.
After wrapping up the Keightley Classic with four straight home games, Kentucky heads to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., to take on Providence on Sun. Dec. 1. Game time is 8:30 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports 1.

Kentucky started five freshmen for the fourth consecutive game — Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, James Young, Julius Randle and Marcus Lee.
The teams battled evenly early. Tied at 12, Andrew Harrison put UK ahead for good with a pair of foul shots and the Wildcats gradually built their largest lead of the half at 29-19.
EMU rallied late in the half, pulling within 33-32, before Willie Cauley-Stein’s dunk sent the Wildcats to the locker room ahead 35-32.

The Wildcats had a strong defensive start to the second half, holding EMU to 3-of-15 shooting with four turnovers in the first seven minutes, as UK extended the lead back to double digits at 51-38.
UK gradually pulled away, leading by as many as 21 at 79-58.

UK made 28 of 40 at the foul line tonight. The Wildcats have made at least 20 at the stripe in every game this season.
- After some struggles early in the season, UK has made at least 71.6 percent of its free throws over the last four games, including 70 percent today.
- UK drew 31 EMU fouls today. Opponents have committed at least 25 fouls in each game.
Outrebounding opponents by an average of 16.3 per game, UK won the battle of the boards by 18 today, 51-33. That led to a 23-4 advantage in second-chance points.
Kentucky is 78-3 under Coach John Calipari when limiting the opponent to 63 or fewer points.

Julius Randle has a double-double in all seven games this season, totaling 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. EMU, all of which came in the second half except for one lone rebound in the opening period.
- Only one Wildcat has begun a season with seven consecutive double-doubles — Jim Andrews, who began 1971-72 with seven straight.
- The last Wildcat to have seven straight double-doubles in any games was DeMarcus Cousins in Jan.-Feb. 2010.
Aaron Harrison poured in 22 points, his second 20-point game of the season, and had a season-high seven rebounds.
Willie Cauley-Stein had a season-high 15 points, eight rebounds and tied his career best for blocked shots with seven rejections.
Dakari Johnson had a season-high 10 points and added seven rebounds in just 10 minutes of play.

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