March 12, 2010

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• Kentucky improves to 30-2 on the season. Alabama falls to 17-15.
• UK recorded its 12 th 30-win season and the first since 2003 when the Cats went 32-4.
• UK is 100-35 against the Crimson Tide, including a 12-2 mark against Bama in the SEC Tournament.
• The Wildcats are 112-22 all-time in the SEC Tournament and 6-1 all-time in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
• Kentucky is 37-10 in SEC Tournament quarterfinal games, including 4-1 against Alabama.
• Kentucky has now won seven in a row against Alabama in the SEC Tournament.
• Kentucky will take on the winner of Tennessee/Ole Miss in the semifinals on Saturday. Tipoff is set for noon CT on ABC.

Team game notes

• The Wildcats used the starting combination of Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Darius Miller, Patrick Patterson and John Wall for the 23 rd time this season. Kentucky is 21-2 with that starting five.
• Darnell Dodson, DeAndre Liggins and Daniel Orton were the first subs off the bench for Kentucky.
• Kentucky extended its streak of game with a three-pointer to 743 games, the third longest streak in the country.
• UK trailed 35-30 at the half, the sixth time this season the Wildcats have trailed going into halftime. The Wildcats are 5-1 when trailing at the half.
• UK reclaimed the lead 43-42 at the 13:51 mark of the second half after trailing since the 13:47 mark of the first half.
• Trailing 40-36, John Wall scored seven straight points for the Wildcats to propel them to a 43-42 lead.
• UK was out-rebounded for just the eighth time this season (45-33). UK improves to 7-1 when out-rebounded by the opponent.
• UK hit 50.0 percent (25-of-50) from the field, including 63.6 percent (14-of-22) in the second half. UK improves to 15-0 when shooting over 50 percent from the field.
• This marks the first time since Nov. 19, 2009, that at least two Wildcats have scored 20-plus points in a game (Cousins 27, Wall 21, Patterson 20 vs. Sam Houston State).

Individual game notes

#3 Darnell Dodson

• Third consecutive double-figure performance.
• Has connected on a three-pointer in three-straight games.

#11 John Wall

• Eighth 20-point game this season.
• Marked the 12 th time this season to lead the Cats in scoring.
• Has dished out five or more assists in four consecutive games.
• Has pulled down five or more rebounds in six of Kentucky’s last nine games.
• Scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the decisive second half.

#15 DeMarcus Cousins

• After going scoreless in the first half for only the fourth time this season and pulling down three rebounds, finished with seven points and eight rebounds, all defensive boards.

#21 Perry Stevenson

• Most points since scoring six points off the bench vs. Arkansas on Jan. 23.
• Moved to a tie for fifth on UK’s all-time blocks list with his 155th.

#54 Patrick Patterson

• Moved to within seven points of 15 th in UK’s all-time scoring list (1,502).
• Scored 10 first half points, the 11 th time this season he’s hit double-figures in the first half and the third time in the last five games.
• Perfect from the charity stripe (8-of-8) for the 11 th time this season and has now hit 15 consecutive free throws, dating back to Feb. 27 vs. Tennessee.
• Eight made free throws were a season high.
• Finished with an SEC Tournament career-high 20 points.
• Shooting 84.2 percent from the free-throw line in SEC Tournament games (16-of-19).