UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY vs. ALABAMA
RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.
FEB. 17, 2018
ATTENDANCE: 23,220
 
Final Score: Kentucky 81, Alabama 71
                                                             
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 18-9 overall, 7-7 in the Southeastern Conference. Alabama is 17-10 overall and 8-6 in the SEC.
• Kentucky leads the series 111-37, including 57-10 in Lexington. 
  • UK has won nine in a row vs. Alabama.
• Next for the Wildcats: Kentucky travels to Arkansas Tuesday with tipoff slated for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.  

 
In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, Wenyen Gabriel, Kevin Knox and Nick Richards for the third time this season. UK is 2-1 with this lineup.
• Richards scored Kentucky’s first four points with two dunks.
  • He’s scored Kentucky’s first points of the game nine times, tied for the team lead.
  • He’s started a game with a dunk six times this year.
• Quade Green hit a made 3 with 9:28 to play, extending UK’s streak of 1,040 consecutive games with a 3-pointer.
• UK’s largest lead was five points when Diallo hit a layup with three seconds remaining in the half.
• Kentucky’s 39 points in the first half was its most before halftime since scoring 41 vs. Louisville, which UK beat 90-61.

 
In the Second Half

• Nick Richards scored the first two points of the half with a layup at the 19:42 mark, giving UK a seven-point lead, its largest since winning at West Virginia on Jan. 27.
• Alabama never led by more than three, and its last lead was 59-58 with 8:34 to play.
• UK opened up its largest lead, 11 points, with 44 seconds to play in the second half.
  • UK had not led by more than seven since the win at West Virginia on Jan. 27.
  • UK led by more than 10 points for the first time since defeated Mississippi State on Jan. 23.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky snapped its first four-game losing streak since the end of the 2008-09 regular season. It was Calipari’s first four-game losing streak since Memphis lost four in a row to end the 2004-05 regular season. 
• UK is 43-12 in “bounce back” games under Calipari following a loss. 
  • The Wildcats have only lost back-to-back games 12 times during the Calipari era with three of those losses having come during the just lapsed four-game losing streak.
• Kentucky won rebounding 44-27, and offensive rebounding 20-9.
  • UK’s offensive rebounds were one outside the top 10 for most of the Calipari era.
  • Alabama’s 27 rebounds were tied for the second fewest by a UK opponent this year.
  • UK’s plus-17 rebounding margin was its highest in SEC play. The only higher rebounding margin UK had this year was plus-23 in two straight games against Troy and Fort Wayne in November.
• Kentucky scored 39 bench points, just under half of UK’s total for the game.
  • UK won bench points 39-19. UK is 8-8 this season and 3-6 in the SEC when leading bench points.
  • UK also won points in the paint 40-32
    • UK is 13-7 overall, and 5-6 in the SEC with more points in the paint this year. 
• Five Wildcats scored in double figures for the first time since Nov. 26 vs. UIC.

 
Player Notes  

• Quade Green came off the bench to score 12 points and dish four assists.

  • He’s scored 10 or more in 12 games this year, two of the last four and three of the last six.
• Nick Richards scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot.
  • He reached double figures for the seventh time this year, but the first time since scoring 10 vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 30
• Kevin Knox scored 13 points, all in the second half.
  • Scoreless in the first 26:38 of the game, he proceeded to score 11 of Kentucky’s next 13 points between the 13:22 and 8:17 marks in the second half.
  • He also grabbed five rebounds.
• PJ Washington came off the bench to score 16 points and grab five rebounds.
  • He’s scored in double figures in two straight after not reaching that threshold since playing Mississippi State on Jan. 23.
• Jarred Vanderbilt scored a career high 11 points in this the 10th game he’s played.
  • He came up a rebound shy of a double-double.
  • Vanderbilt has 69 rebounds in 151 minutes this season.

 
Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has a 712-202 all-time on-court record.
• Calipari is now 267-62 at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 148-8 in Rupp Arena.
• Calipari is 14-3 against Alabama.