Dec. 29, 2008

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Team Records and Series Notes

• With the win, Kentucky improves to 11-3 and with the loss Central Michigan falls to 3-9.
• UK has won 11 of its last 12 games, with the lone loss coming against No. 21 Miami on Dec. 3.
• Tonight’s game marked the second all-time meeting between the two schools. The Wildcats won the only other meeting in 1975 by a 90-73 margin.
• The Wildcats own a 20-13 all-time record against teams from the Wolverine State.
• Kentucky has won 81 of its last 100 home games and owns a 422-56 all-time record in historic Rupp Arena.
• UK owns a 44-6 record against teams from the Mid American Conference.
• The Wildcats return to action on Saturday, Jan. 4, when they travel to take on in-state rival Louisville at Freedom Hall. Tip off is slated for a 4:30 p.m. ET tilt. The game will be televised live on CBS.

First-Half Notes

• For the first time this season, Kentucky opened with the starting lineup of Michael Porter, Perry Stevenson, Jodie Meeks, DeAndre Liggins and Patrick Patterson.
  • The start was the first of Liggins’ career.
• UK controlled the opening tip to begin the game. Patrick Patterson and UK have won 11-of-14 jump balls this season. Immediately the Cats got on the board when Liggins found Patterson for an easy lay-in on UK’s opening possession.
  • After taking an early 2-0 lead, the Wildcats saw Central Michigan score the next seven points. Patterson responded with a pair of free throws to snap the scoring drought at the 15:00 minute mark.
• Landon Slone and Darius Miller were the first Wildcats to check in off the bench for UK, subbing in for Jodie Meeks and DeAndre Liggins at the 17:49 mark.
• Michael Porter became the first UK player other than Patterson to score with a lay-in at the 13:26 mark.
• With a three-point basket from Landon Slone, UK has now made a three in 687 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in the nation.
• As Central Michigan claimed a 15-6 lead in the early going, it was UK’s largest deficit since trailing by 21 points against Miami on Dec. 3.
• Kentucky earned a bonus situation with 11:40 left in the first half.
  • The situation proved advantageous for the Cats as Josh Harrellson connected on a pair of free throws at the 9:47 mark to knot the score at 17 after UK had trailed since the opening tip.
• Momentum swung in the Cats favor as DeAndre Liggins forced a five-second call as the Chippewas attempted to inbound the ball near mid-court. Liggins gave UK the lead at 19-17 with a lay-in immediately following the stellar defensive effort.
• The Blue and White finished the half with a 36-8 run after trailing 15-6 at the 13:08 mark.
• Perry Stevenson’s swat just under nine minutes extended his streak of attaining a blocked shot in seven straight games. He has a blocked shot in 13-of-14 games this season. The Wildcats have had a block in every game dating back to February 23rd, 2008 when they did not have any against Arkansas.
• Jodie Meeks scratched the scoreboard for the first time with a lay-up with 7:38 to play in the opening frame.
• Meeks hit his first three-point field goal at the 5:50 mark. On the very next possession he tried another long-range shot and got fouled in the process of shooting. He connected on all three of his shots from the charity stripe.
• During UK’s stretch the Wildcats notched their 15 th 10-0 run of the season.
• Between the 8:29 mark and the 2:37 mark of the first half, Kentucky hit 10 straight shots, going 6-6 from the field (including four three-pointers) and 4-4 from the free throw line.
• Meeks led the Wildcats in scoring with 11 first half points. Porter, Patterson and Slone all had eight or more points to spread out the Wildcat tallies.

Second-Half Notes

• The Wildcats opened the second half with the lineup of Slone, Porter, Stevenson, Liggins and Patterson.
• Just like the opening stanza, Patterson began the scoring for the Wildcats in the second half with another lay-in.
• Porter’s second three-point make with a little more than 18 minutes in the second half gave him a career-high of 12 points.
• The Chippewas did not score until the 16:30 when they made a free throw.
• Meeks’ two free throws with 7:50 remaining gave him 20 points for the game. He has reached 20 point plateau in three of his last four outings.

Team Notes

• UK made 14-of-19 free throws and has now made 57 of its last 68 free throw attempts.
• UK had at least three players register double-figure points for the 10th time this season.
• The Wildcats quartet of Meeks (23), Patterson (15), Porter (12) and Harrellson (12) were the first group of Wildcats in double-figure scoring since Kentucky had five players in double digits against Indiana on Dec. 13 th .
• UK shot a total of 53-percent (30-for-56) from the field, connecting on over 50-percent for the ninth time this season and the fifth time in the last six games.
• Kentucky posted a 37-35 margin on the boards, with UK now outrebounding 13-of-14 opponents this season.
• Central Michigan shot 31-percent from the field, with the Wildcats now holding all 14 of its opponents to under 50-percent from the field. It was the lowest opponent field goal percentage since UK held Longwood to just 30-percent.
• The Chippewas shot 27-percent (5-for-18) from behind the arc, with UK holding 13-of-14 opponents to under 50-percent shooting from three-point land.
• Kentucky, winners of 20 NCAA attendance titles in Rupp Arena including 12 of the last 13, had an attendance of 22,994 for Monday’s game.

Individual Notes

• Jodie Meeks led UK with 23 points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 27 minutes.
  • Meek’s third three-pointer put him over the double-figure scoring mark in the opening half for the fourth straight game and the 10th time this season. He has now made multiple three-pointers in eight straight games.
  • Meeks has totaled double-digit points in each game this season and 33 times in his career.
  • Meeks tallied 20 or more points for the seventh time this season and ninth time of his career.
  • Meeks finished with six three pointers. He has 24 long-range makes in his last four games.
  • Meeks has a three point field goal in every game this season and in every one of his last 15 outings.
  • Meeks now has five or more three pointers in five games this season, including three times in his last four games.
  • Meeks has a steal in six of the last seven games.
  • Meeks connected on 17 straight free throws, dating back to the Appalachian State game before missing in the second half tonight. With his 6-of-7 performance at the stripe tonight he has now made 21-of-22 free throws in his last four outings.
• Patrick Patterson tallied 15 points and nine rebounds, falling just one rebound shy of another double-double.
  • Patterson has scored in double figures in 11 straight games and in 12-of-14 games this season. He has 35 double-figure scoring efforts in his two-year career.
  • Patterson’s 15 point effort was the seventh game in his last eight outings with 15 or more points.
  • With nine boards tonight, Patterson has led UK in rebounding 10 times this season, a team-high.
• Freshman Landon Slone set career highs in rebounds (5) and tied a career-high with eight points.
  • Slone was the first Wildcat to connect on a three-pointer to help extend UK’s streak to 687 consecutive games with a score from long range.
  • Slone ignited the Rupp Arena crowd with a long-range make at the 4:35 mark in the opening frame to give him a career-best eight points.
• Michael Porter finished with a career-high 12 points.
• Perry Stevenson finished with two blocks and has now blocked a shot in seven straight games and in 13-of-14 games this season.
• DeAndre Liggins made his first career start and contributed four points and set a career-high with eight assists.
• Josh Harrellson came off the bench to contribute 12 points including all but two in the second half.
• A.J. Stewart set a season-high with three blocked shots in tonight’s outing.
• Kevin Galloway matched a career-best with four points.
• Dwight Perry connected on his first career three-pointer, which also sets a career-high point total. It was the first points of the season for the junior.