UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
OLE MISS AT KENTUCKY
RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.
FEB. 28, 2018
ATTENDANCE: 22,108
 
Final Score: #23/25 Kentucky 96, Ole Miss 78
                                                             
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky won its fourth game in a row and is 21-9 overall, 10-7 in the Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss is 12-18 overall, 5-12 in league play.  
• Kentucky leads the series 106-13 and has won nine in a row against the Rebels.
  • UK leads 54-2 in games played in Lexington.
• Next for the Wildcats: Kentucky completes the regular season Saturday at Florida.  Game time is noon and it will be televised on CBS.

 
In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, Wenyen Gabriel, Kevin Knox and Nick Richards for the sixth time this season. UK is 5-1 with this lineup.
• Kentucky extended its streak of 1,043 consecutive games with a 3-pointer when Gabriel connected with 17:48 on the clock.
• Ahead 31-30, Kentucky went on a 9-0 run for a 40-30 lead.
• UK went to halftime ahead 50-42.
  • It was UK’s most first-half points since 54 vs. Monmouth on Dec. 9.
  • Knox led the team with 13 points, it was a team-best 11th time this season he’s scored double figures in the first half.
  • Gabriel had 12 points, the most he’s had in a half this season.
  • Gilgeous-Alexander had 11 points, marking the fifth time this season he’s had double figures in the first half, and the first time since the Vanderbilt game on Jan. 13.
• UK is 14-3 this season when leading at halftime.

 
In the Second Half

• Ole Miss came out hot with a trio of 3-pointers, cutting the UK lead to 59-57.
• At that point, the teams traded runs, UK 8-0 and Ole Miss 7-0. 
• Ahead 75-69, UK put the game away with a 10-0 spurt to make it 85-69 and the Rebels never seriously threatened again.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky has scored its highest point total in SEC play in the last three games – 87 at Arkansas, 87 vs. Missouri, 96 vs. Ole Miss.
  • UK has made at least eight 3-pointers in each of those games.

• UK has scored at least 80 points in every game of the current four-game winning streak.
  • It’s the first time UK tallied at least 80 in four straight games since it was done eight games in a row last season.
• UK posted 19 assists tonight, most in an SEC game this season and three shy of the season high. 
• Five Wildcats scored in double figures for the fourth game in a row.
  • That’s the first time that’s happened since UK did it five straight times during the 2016-17 season vs. Duquesne, Cleveland, UT Martin, Arizona State and UCLA.   
• UK had four players score at least 15 points tonight, first time that has happened since the win over Texas A&M on Jan. 9.
• Kentucky shot 50 percent from the field and is 13-0 this season when shooting at least 46.4 percent from the field. 
  • UK is 9-0 this season when making at least half its shots. 
• UK got to the foul line 35 times tonight and made 26.
  • During the current four-game win streak, UK is shooting 76.6 from the foul line.
• UK won the rebounding 43-35. UK is 19-4 this season when outrebounding the opponent.
• Kentucky finished the home schedule with a 16-2 record (.889). 
  • UK is now 577-68 (.895) all-time in Rupp Arena.
  • Tonight marked Coach John Calipari’s 150th win in Rupp (150-8, .949)
  • Calipari has five seasons with zero home losses at UK and four seasons with two home defeats.
• UK is 228-5 under Coach John Calipari when the Wildcats lead by at least 10 points during the game.

 
Player Notes  

• Kevin Knox led the Wildcats with 22 points, his third straight 20-point game and ninth of the season.

  • It is his first time as a Wildcat to have three straight 20-point games.
  • It is his seventh straight game in double figures.
• Jarred Vanderbilt had five points and led the Cats in rebounds with 11.
  • He is averaging 9.5 points and 11 rebounds per game during UK’s current four-game win streak.
  • With 104 rebounds in 221 minutes this season, he continues his amazing ratio of one rebound per 2.1 minutes played.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 points, a career-high 10 assists, tied his career best for rebounds with seven, and had a career-best three blocked shots.
  • It is the first double-double of his career.
  • After notching eight assists vs. Missouri, he is the first Wildcat with eight assists in consecutive games since De’Aaron Fox last season vs. UT Martin and UCLA. 
• Quade Green netted 18 points, his second-highest point total of the season.  He had 21 vs. East Tennessee on Nov. 17.
  • He is averaging 13.5 points during the current four-game win streak and canned two 3-pointers in all four games.  
  • He has scored double figures in four straight games, marking the second time this season he has done that.
• PJ Washington scored 10 points, his fifth straight game in double figures, all off the bench.
  • He added five rebounds, the sixth straight game he has garnered at least five caroms.
• Wenyen Gabriel had 15 points, one shy of his season high, and his first double-figure game since Jan. 20 vs. Florida. He added six rebounds and two assists. 

 
Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has a 715-202 all-time on-court record.
• Calipari is now 270-62 at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 150-8 at Rupp Arena.
• Calipari is 14-4 vs. Ole Miss in his career.