Kentucky Men’s Basketball Postgame Notes
Stony Brook vs. Kentucky, NCAA Tournament First Round
Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa
March 17, 2016
Attendance: 16,774
Final Score: Kentucky 85, Stony Brook 57
Team Records and Series Notes
• Kentucky is 27-8 and has won six in a row. Stony Brook ends the season 26-7.
• Kentucky leads the all-time series 2-0.
• This was the first time the two have met in the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Tournament Notes
• Kentucky is making its national-record 55th NCAA Tournament.
• UK is 45-10 in tournament openers and has won 23 of its last 24 first-round tournament games. UK owns a 121-48 record all-time in NCAA action, with its .716 winning percentage the fourth best in NCAA history.
• This is Kentucky’s fourth time as a No. 4-seed. Kentucky is 6-2 in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed.
• The Wildcats are 2-0 in No. 4 vs. No. 13 games.
• The Wildcats broke the NCAA Tournament record for most blocks in a game with 15. The previous record was 14, accomplished UK’s national championship 1998 team, vs. UCLA in the Sweet 16.
In the First Half
• Kentucky started with the lineup of Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, Isaiah Briscoe, Alex Poythress and Skal Labissiere for the ninth time this year and sixth game in a row. UK is 8-1 with this lineup.
• Tied at 10-10 with 11:25 to play, Kentucky outscored Stony Brook 23-9 to close the half.
• Kentucky held Stony Brook to 19 points the fewest point by a UK opponent in a half this season. The previous fewest was 20 vs. Missouri (Jan. 27).
• Stony Brook’s previous first-half low this season was 25 points (three times).
• Labissiere blocked five shots, the most by any Wildcat in a first half this year.
In the Second Half
• Derek Willis extended UK’s streak of consecutive games with a made 3-pointer to 974 with a triple at the 16:06 mark.
• Kentucky opened the second half on a 9-4 run over the first 2:53.
Team Notes
• Kentucky blocked a season-high 15 shots. That mark is the single-game NCAA Tournament record for all teams.
• All five starters scored in double figures, but none scored more than 20.
• That snapped a 24- game streak where a Wildcat has scored at least 20 points, the longest such streak since a Cat scored 20 or more in all 28 games of the 1969-70 season.
• Coach John Calipari has a 662-186 (.781) all-time record, including a 217-46 (.825) mark at Kentucky.
• Kentucky is now 133-5 under Coach Calipari, and 17-0 this season, when holding opponents to fewer than 63 points.
Player Notes
• Freshman Jamal Murray had 19 points, including 2 of 7 on 3-pointers, adding seven rebounds and two blocks.
• He tied his career-high with two blocks.
• He added to his UK freshman scoring record, now standing at 704 points.
• It is his 33nd consecutive double-figure scoring game.
• He has scored at least eight points in all 35 games this season, extending his school-record for most consecutive games with 8 or more points at the start of a career.
• He has made at least one 3-point shot in every game this season, the first player in Kentucky history to make a triple in each of his first 35 collegiate games.
• It’s also a school record for most consecutive games with a 3 to begin a season, regardless of year in school.
• He has 112 3-pointers this season, most ever by a Southeastern Conference freshman.
• His 112 3-pointers are the second-most by a freshman in NCAA history. The national freshman record is 122 by Stephen Curry of Davidson in 2006-07.
• He has made two or more 3-pointers in 17 straight games.
• Overshadowed by his prolific scoring, the 6-4 Murray has become an aggressive rebounder. He had seven rebounds today and 45 rebounds over the last seven games, averaging 6.4 boards per game during that span.
• He broke the 700-point plateau, today. The other UK players with 700-plus points in a single season: Dan Issel, Jodie Meeks, Jamal Mashburn, Kevin Grevey, Ron Mercer, Kenny Walker.
• Freshman Skal Labissere scored 12 points, blocked a season-high-tying six shots and grabbed four rebounds.
• His six blocks tied for the second most by a Wildcat in an NCAA Tournament game.
• He has scored in double-figures in three of the last six games.
• Freshman Isaiah Briscoe totaled 13 points and 11 rebounds.
• He had his second double-double of the season, and first since his first game of the season.
• Has scored double figures in 19 games this season.
• Sophomore Tyler Ulis scored 10 and assisted seven.
• He now has 243 assists this season. He broke John Wall’s (2008-09) Kentucky single-season assists record with a dish to Jamal Murray in the second half.
• He extended his school-record streak of 28 consecutive games with at least four assists.
• Senior Alex Poythress had 12 points.
• Junior Derek Willis totaled scored eight points and blocked two shots.
• He was 3 of 3 from the field and 2 of 2 from 3-point range.
• Has made 34 of 51 shots (.667) in the last five games since returning from a foot injury.
