?    Kentucky dropped its second home contest of the season to Vanderbilt on Thursday evening, 71-69.

?    With the loss, UK moves to 15-4 on the season, and 4-4 in Southeastern Conference play.

?    The meeting was the 50th between the two programs, with UK falling to 27-23 in the all-time series.  

?    The loss snaps a nine-game winning streak against the Commodores, dating back to 2010.

?    Matthew Mitchell is in his ninth season with Kentucky and the setback moves him to 239-114 overall, including a 209-85 record while at Kentucky.

 

?    The setback marked the first timethat Kentucky has lost to an unranked team at home while ranked since dropping a 99-94 decision to Dayton in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 21, 2015.

?    It also marked the first time that a game has been decided by two points or less since playing Mississippi State on Feb. 21, 2015, when the Wildcats came away with a 92-90 double-overtime win.

?    Kentucky shot 45.9% from the field on 28-of-61 shooting, while Vanderbilt went 25-of-57 from the floor for 43.9%.  From 3-point range, Vanderbilt was 10-of-24 (41.7%), while the Wildcats were 3-of-14 (21.4%).  

?    UK forced 16 turnovers, converting those into 20 points while only committing 12 miscues.  

?    The rebounding battle was deadlocked at 32-32, and UK held the advantage in the paint, 40-24. 

?    UK shot 62.5% in the first period, taking a 20-11 lead by the end of the opening stanza.  

?    Fourteen of Kentucky’s first 20 points were scored in the paint, while the Wildcats outrebounded the Commodores 10-5 and held one of the league’s best teams in 3-point efficiency to 0-of-4 from beyond the arc.  Vanderbilt would go on to hit three 3-pointers in a row to open up the second period.

?    At the half, the score was tied 34-34.  UK shot 55.2% on 16-of-29 from the floor, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, while Vanderbilt went 13-of-29 from the field for 44.8%.  UK outscored VU in the paint, 18-12, and outrebounded the Commodores 17-11.  

?    Vanderbilt had taken a 47-40 lead before Kentucky went on a 13-2 run, including an 8-0 run to take the score from 49-45 in Vanderbilt’s favor to a 53-49 edge for Kentucky.  

?    Vanderbilt made six of its 10 3-pointers in the second half of action, accounting for 18 of the Commodores’ 37 points to establish the advantage that would play out through the end of the contest. 

 

?    Makayla Epps led all scorers with a season-high 25 points along with five rebounds and three assists.

o   Epps has scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games, marking the first time that a UK player has posted 20+ points in three straight games since Jennifer O’Neil accomplished the feat against Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee between Feb. 9-16, 2014.

o   Epps also scored 17 points in the second half for the second consecutive game.

?    Janee Thompson added 14 points, 12 of them in the first half and dished out six assists while grabbing two steals.

o   Thompson sank two 3-pointers, marking the 11th time this season that she has made at least two triples in a game.

?    Evelyn Akhator poured in 12 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds.

?    Alexis Jennings added 12 points to go with five rebounds and two steals.

o   Jennings continued her perfect effort from the free throw line in conference action, making two from the charity stripe to advance to 18-of-18 in SEC play.