Kentucky-Eastern Michigan Postgame Notes

Jan. 2, 2013

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Playing its final regular-season non-conference game, Kentucky is 9-4 on the season. Eastern Michigan is 7-6.
This was the first men’s basketball meeting between Kentucky and Eastern Michigan.
- UK is now 46-6 all-time against teams from the current alignment of the Mid-American Conference.
Kentucky has an open date Saturday, then begins Southeastern Conference action at Vanderbilt on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 9 p.m. EST (8 p.m. CST) and will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.

Kentucky started with the lineup of Ryan Harrow, Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress, Nerlens Noel and Willie Cauley-Stein for the first time.
- It is the first game that four freshmen have started for Coach John Calipari at UK.
Eastern Michigan scored a 3-pointer on the first possession but UK responded with a 9-0 run.
Ahead 13-7, UK had a 17-2 spurt for a 30-9 lead.
Kentucky led 38-14 at halftime.
- It tied the Samford game for the fewest points allowed in a half this season.
- The first half continues to tell the tale for the Wildcats. UK is 9-0 this season when leading at halftime, 0-4 when behind at intermission.

Kentucky opened the half with a 15-0 run, stretching the lead to 53-14, before the Eagles got on the scoreboard with 13:35 remaining.
Kentucky led by as many as 57 points at 90-33.

Kentucky held EMU to 38 points, the fewest by a Wildcat opponent since defeating Texas Southern, 83-35, on Nov. 24, 2007.
- UK is 28-0 under Coach John Calipari when limiting opponents to 55 or fewer points.
EMU shot 24.2 percent from the field. It is UK’s best defensive performance since Central Arkansas, which shot 20 percent on Nov. 6, 2007.
- Kentucky is 7-0 this season when holding the opponent under 40 percent.
Kentucky won the rebounding 52-27, the Wildcats’ most rebounds and largest margin of the season.
- UK dominated second-chance points 15-4 and points in the paint 40-16.
Kentucky shot 51.7 percent from the field, the fifth time this season UK has shot 50 percent or better from the field (5-0).

Willie Cauley-Stein had 11 points and 11 rebounds, his second double-double as a Wildcat.
- WCS has made 15 of 20 shots (75 percent) over the last four games.
Ryan Harrow scored 15 points and had a season-high eight assists.
- Harrow has scored double figures in four-straight games and is averaging 16.7 over that stretch.
- Harrow has an assist-turnover ratio of 29-7 over the last seven games.
- Harrow made 4 of 5 three-point shots, the first time in his collegiate career that he made more than one three in a game.
Julius Mays tallied 13 points and four assists, his first double-figure game on Dec. 8.
- Has a 20-5 assist-turnover ratio over the last six games.
Nerlens Noel had eight points and 13 rebounds, his third double-figure rebounding game of the season.
- Noel has at least six rebounds in every game this season.
- Has made 18 of 25 shots (75 percent) in the last five games.
Jarrod Polson had two points, two assists and a career-high four rebounds.
Alex Poythress had 16 points, featuring 5 of 8 field goals.
- Poythress entered the game leading the SEC in field-goal percentage at 64.3 percent.
Kyle Wilter had a game-high 17 points
- Has scored double figures in five of the last six games.
- Has made a three-pointer in 12 of 13 games this season.

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