UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY vs. KANSAS
RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.
JAN. 26, 2019
ATTENDANCE: 24,387
 
Final Score: No. 8/9 Kentucky 71, No. 9/10 Kansas 63
                                                       
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky won its sixth in a row and is 16-3 overall. Kansas is 16-4 overall.
• Kentucky leads the series 23-9 and ended a three-game losing streak vs. Kansas.
• UK is 3-3 all-time in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
• Tonight’s game featured a season-high 24,387 attendance.
• Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats resume Southeastern Conference action Tuesday at Vanderbilt.  Game time is 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT in Nashville) and it will be televised on ESPN.   
  • UK defeated Vanderbilt 56-47 in Rupp Arena in the first matchup, on Jan. 12.

 
In the First Half

• Kentucky started Ashton Hagans, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, PJ Washington and Reid Travis for the 12th time this season. UK is now 9-3 with that lineup.
• Kansas was the first team to get hot.  Trailing 6-4, the Jayhawks ripped off 12 straight to take a 16-6 lead.
• After going scoreless for almost six minutes, Kentucky awakened with nine points in a two-minute span, pulling within 18-15.
• The teams played evenly from that point and Kansas retained a 33-30 advantage going into halftime.
• UK got strong inside play in the first half, with Travis totaling 12 points and six rebounds while Washington compiled six points and nine boards.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky’s first 3-pointer of the game, by Johnson with 18:48 on the clock, gave UK the lead at 35-33.
• Tied at 44, Washington made the first of two free throws. After the second was missed, EJ Montgomery ran down the loose ball and got it to Herro, who found Washington for a layup.
• Moments later, Johnson hit another 3 from the corner and Travis backed in for a short banker and UK had its largest lead at 52-44.
• UK eventually stretched its largest lead to 10 at 64-54 and coasted to the final score of 71-63.

 
Team Notes

• Kansas scored 63 points. UK is 163-7 under Coach John Calipari when keeping the opponent to 63 points or less, including 11-0 this season.
• Kansas shot only 36.5 percent from the field. UK is 172-15 (.920) under Calipari when keeping the opponent at 40 percent or less, including 7-0 this season.
  • UK has held four of its last five opponents to 40 percent or less.
• Kentucky was strong around the basket tonight, winning the rebounding 49-36 and points in the paint 38-20.
• During the current six-game win streak UK has …
  • Held the opponents to 61.3 points per game
  • Limited the opponents to 38.1 percent from the field
  • Limited the opponents to 31 percent from 3-point range
• With Travis, Washington and Johnson snagging double-doubles, the last time UK had three in the same game was Feb. 16, 2010, when DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson and John Wall each had a double-double.
• Kentucky is 4-1 vs. Associated Press Top 25 teams this season, including victories in consecutive games over Auburn, Mississippi State and Kansas. 
  • This is the first time UK defeated ranked opponents in three consecutive games since the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
  • The last time UK defeated ranked opponents in three consecutive games in the regular season was 2004.
• UK improved to 249-5 (.980) under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any point in the game.
• UK has won 15 in a row at Rupp Arena, including 12-0 this season.
• Kentucky hosted ESPN College GameDay Saturday morning, UK’s 17th appearance on the show. UK is 7-10 in games that were preceded by GameDay but has won two in a row.
• The Wildcats grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, the 13th time UK has grabbed double digits rebounds and the fourth time in the last five games.

Player Notes  

• PJ Washington finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season and eighth of his career.  

  • With 21 points vs. Mississippi State and 20 tonight, he has back-to-back 20-point games for the first time in his career.
  • He has two 20-point, 10-rebound games this season, also vs. Seton Hall.
  • Washington is the first players with 20 points and 10 rebounds in a game since turning trick against Seton Hall (29 points and 12 rebounds) earlier this season.
• Keldon Johnson came up with 15 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double of the season.
• Reid Travis amassed 18 points and 12 rebounds, his second double-double at Kentucky and 28th of his career.
  • Travis has been his best against the best. In UK’s five games against ranked opponents, he is averaging 16.4 points and nine rebounds per game.
  • Travis has grabbed 12 rebounds in back-to-back games and matched his season high again. 
  • His seven offensive rebounds were a season high.
• Ashton Hagans tallied 12 points, eight assists and three steals.
  • Hagans has 13 consecutive games with at least three assists. He’s led the team in assists 13 times this season.  
  • UK is 3-0 this season when Hagans has at least seven assists.
  • Hagans has 34 steals in the last nine games, averaging 3.8 per game during that span.
• Tyler Herro contributed six points, four assists and five rebounds.
• Nick Richards had a career-high five blocked shots in only nine minutes of action.

 
Calipari

• Calipari is now 291-67 at UK, including 48-23 when both teams are ranked in the AP Top 25.  
• Calipari has a 736-207 all-time on-court record.
• He is now six wins away from tying Joe B. Hall for the second-most victories by a UK head coach in program history.
• UK is 56-27 vs. The Associated Press top 25 under Calipari and 22-17 vs. top-10 opponents.
• UK is 14-9 under Calipari when both teams are ranked in the AP top 10.