UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY at ALABAMA
COLEMAN COLISEUM | TUSCALOOSA, ALA.
JAN. 5, 2019
ATTENDANCE: 12,424
 
Final Score: Alabama 77, No. 13/14 Kentucky 75
                                                             
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky fell to 10-3 on the season and 0-1 in Southeastern Conference play. Alabama improved to 10-3 and 1-0 to begin league play.
• In the 150th meeting between the two schools, UK’s series lead is still 112-38 over Alabama.
• The Wildcats’ win streak over Alabama was snapped at 10 games.
  • Kentucky has still won 12 of the last 14 and 17 of the last 20 matchups over Alabama.
  • UK is now 31-24 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
• Next for Kentucky: The Wildcats’ SEC home opener will be Tuesday vs. Texas A&M. That game will be televised on the SEC Network at 7 p.m. ET
  • UK has won 48 regular-season SEC titles and five under Calipari

 
In the First Half

• Kentucky started Ashton Hagans, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, PJ Washington and Reid Travis for the sixth time this season and fifth game in a row.
• Travis scored the Cats’ first two buckets of the game, one via hook shot and the other by way of a slam dunk.
• Both teams came out on fire. Alabama led 16-15 at the first media timeout (14:56 mark). At that point Alabama was 7 for 10 from the floor with two 3-pointers while UK was 7 for 9, making its lone trey attempt (Herro).
  • Travis had six points during the run, including two dunks.
  • All five of UK starters scored during the fast start.
• Travis had a solid first half. He was in double figures by the 9:38 mark and finished with 10 points and four rebounds in the first stanza.
• After Alabama took a 19-16 lead with an early barrage of 3-pointers, UK went on an 11-3 run to take a 27-22 lead heading into the under-8 timeout.
• Alabama took a 32-29 lead on an 8-0 run. Washington ended the run with a pair of free throws, but Tevin Mack answered with a 3.
• Mack was on fire in the first half. He torched the Cats for 20 first-half points – matching his season high – on 7-of-9 shooting, including 6 of 6 from 3-point range.
  • He came into the game averaging 8.3 points while shooting 29.6 percent from 3-point range.
  • He set his career high for 3-pointers in the first half alone. His previous high was five over a full game.
• Kentucky shot 50 percent in the first half and led 40-38 at halftime.

 
In the Second Half

• The Wildcats started the second half the same way it started the first: Hagans, Herro, Johnson, Washington and Travis.
• UK committed three charges in the opening minutes to aid an 8-0 Alabama run and fell behind 46-40.
• Immanuel Quickley stopped the 8-0 Alabama run with his second 3-pointer of the game to spark a 7-0 Kentucky streak.
• Alabama took methodical control of the game on the defensive end. The Crimson Tide limited UK to just five makes in its first 19 attempts in the second half. A 7-0 Alabama run increased the Crimson Tide’s lead to 61-53 before Nick Richards ended a 3:03 scoring drought with a free throw.
• UK fell behind by double digits, 68-58, after five straight points from Lewis.
• An inability to make shots in the second half was ultimately the deciding factor for Kentucky. The Wildcats made just 13 of 35 shots in the final 20 minutes, a handful of them coming late during a furious comeback.
• After falling behind by 11, UK made it interesting down the stretch with a suffocating full-court press in the final minutes. The Wildcats got as close one point after a steal by Hagans and a breakaway dunk by Washington. Alabama made 1 of 2 free throws, setting up for UK to tie or win the game. Herro got off a last-second 3-point attempt from straightaway at the buzzer but it caromed off the back of the rim.
• There were a total of nine ties and 10 lead changes.

 
Team Notes

• UK is now 8-2 in SEC openers under Calipari.
• The Wildcats are 93-44 in true road games under Calipari.
• UK scored 20 points off 17 Alabama turnovers.
  • Seven of the turnovers were Kentucky steals.
• Kentucky blocked just one shot, a season low. The Wildcats had tallied four or more blocks in the previous 12 games. 
• UK gave up seven Alabama dunks, all to Donta Hall (four) and Herbert Jones (three).
• The Wildcats surrendered 10 3-pointers, the fifth time this season they’ve allowed 10 or more treys.

Player Notes  

• PJ Washington, led the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points. He also had a team-high-tying seven rebounds to go along with one steal and an assist.

  • He has scored in double figures six times this season.
  • He’s been the team’s rebounding leader seven times.
• Keldon Johnson, UK’s leading scorer for the season, scored 13 points and has reached double figures in all but one game this season. He also added game-high-tying seven boards, a career-high four assists and a career-high-tying three steals.
  • He also had three steals against North Carolina.
  • He’s hit at least one 3-pointer in seven straight.
• Ashton Hagans reached his career high in scoring for the second straight game, this time pouring in 12 points after tallying 11 against Louisville in the last game.
  • He dished out six assists, one shy of his career high.
  • He’s passed out three or more assists in 10 games this season, including each of the last seven.
  • He added three steals and has corralled at least three steals in four games this season, including each of the last three games.
• Reid Travis finished the game with 12 points, six boards and an assist.
  • He’s scored in double figures in 10 games this season.
• Immanuel Quickley chipped in with eight points and connected on a career-high-tying two 3-pointers.
• Tyler Herro was the fifth Wildcat to reach double-figure scoring with 12 points.
  • He’s logged double-digit scoring in 10 games this season and has topped 10 or more in seven straight.
  • He’s averaging 16.0 points per game during that stretch.

 
Calipari

• Calipari is now 285-67 at UK.
• Calipari has a 730-207 all-time on-court record.
• He is still 12 wins away from tying Joe B. Hall for the second-most victories by a UK head coach in program history.
• Calipari is now 15-4 all-time vs. Alabama and 14-3 as the coach at Kentucky.
• It was Calipari’s first loss to Alabama head coach Avery Johnson. Calipari’s record is now 7-1 vs. Johnson.