March 5, 2003
Recap?|?Box Score?|?Quotes?|?Photo Gallery
Final score: Kentucky 106, Vanderbilt 44
UK is now 25-3 overall, 15-0 in the SEC. Vanderbilt is 10-16 overall, 3-12 in the SEC.
Kentucky has won 19 in a row, the nation’s longest current winning streak. It is the ninth-longest winning streak in school history.
Kentucky has an 11-game home win streak and finished the season 12-1 in Rupp Arena.
Kentucky leads the series 125-36, including 66-13 in games played in Lexington. Kentucky has won 20 of the last 21 meetings overall. Vanderbilt has never beaten Kentucky in Rupp Arena.
Since 1920, Kentucky is 79-4 on Senior Day, winning the last six and 38 of the last 39. UK has never lost a Senior Day game under Tubby Smith.
Kentucky is now 15-0 in the Southeastern Conference with one game to play. Since 1954, only three teams have had a spotless regular-season record – UK 14-0 in ’54, Alabama 14-0 in ’56, and UK 16-0 in ’96.
Kentucky is now 27-7 (.794) in the month of March under Tubby Smith, including 4-1 in regular-season games.
Kentucky shot 52.4 percent from the field. Kentucky is 13-0 this season and 69-1 under Tubby Smith when shooting 50 percent or better.
This was Kentucky’s second 100-point game of the season, 43rd all-time in Rupp Arena.
Each team continued its consecutive streak of three-pointers, Vanderbilt 530 games (ranked No. 2 nationally) and Kentucky 501 (ranked third).
Thirteen Wildcats scored, second-most this season. Fourteen ‘Cats scored against Alcorn State.
Kentucky held Vanderbilt to 44 points, the lowest total by a Wildcat opponent this season and the lowest total by the Commodores this season.
Vanderbilt shot 30.6 percent from the field. UK is 13-0 this season when holding opponents under 40 percent from the field. UK has held nine of 15 SEC opponents under 40 percent.
In the two games against Vanderbilt this season, UK limited the Commodores to 16 points in the second half in Nashville and 15 points in the second half tonight.
Kentucky claimed 56 rebounds tonight and won the rebounding battle 56-34.
Kentucky’s margin of victory tonight was 62 points. It was the largest since the Wildcats dispatched Morehead State 96-32 (64-point margin) on Dec. 16, 1995. It was the largest margin of victory against a Southeastern Conference foe since the Wildcats beat Georgia, 143-66 (77-point margin) on Feb. 27, 1956 in the Louisville Armory.
Key run: Kentucky opened the game with a 15-2 run and was never seriously threatened after that.
Freshman forward Kelenna Azubuike had a perfect shooting night, making all six field goals (including two three-pointers) and two free throws. He had career highs with six field goals, three steals, and 16 points.
Freshman forward Bernard Cote had career bests with five points and four rebounds.
Junior forward Erik Daniels tied his career high with 20 points.
Keith Bogans topped 1,800 career points today with nine vs. VU. He now has 1,806 points, moving him past Kevin Grevey (1,801) for sixth place on the all-time UK scoring list.
Keith Bogans, Souleymane “Jules” Camara, Marquis Estill, and John Stewart were UK’s “Senior Night” honorees during pregame ceremonies. Stewart signed with UK, but died in 1999 during his senior year in high school. Stewart would have been a senior for the Wildcats this year.
Kentucky returns to action Saturday at 2 p.m. when the Wildcats travel to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. The game will be telecast by CBS.
