UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY vs. AUBURN
RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.
FEB. 23, 2019
ATTENDANCE: 23,427
 
Final Score: No. 4/4 Kentucky 80, Auburn 53
             
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is now 23-4 overall and moves into a three-way tie for first place in the Southeastern Conference with a 12-2 league mark. UK has won 13 of its last 14 games. 
• Auburn is 18-9 overall, 7-7 in league play.
• The 27-point margin of victory is the Wildcats’ biggest vs. Auburn since defeating the Tigers 110-75 during the memorable 2014-15 season.
• Kentucky leads the series 94-19 and has won two in a row. On Jan. 19, UK won 82-80 at Auburn.
  • UK leads 48-2 in games played in Lexington.
• Next for Kentucky: on Tuesday, the Wildcats play host to Arkansas at 9 p.m. The game will be telecast on the SEC Network.     

 
In the First Half

• Kentucky started the combination of Ashton Hagans, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, PJ Washington and EJ Montgomery for the first time this season.

  • It was Montgomery’s second start of the season.
• Washington made three 3-pointers in the first six minutes, putting the Wildcats up 13-6.
• Ahead 25-17, UK went on an 11-0 run – bookended with 3-pointers by Herro – to give the Cats their largest lead of the half at 36-17. 
• Auburn quickly replied with a 14-2 spurt to pull within 38-31.
• UK came back with the final seven points of the half, capped by another Herro 3-pointer, to make the score 45-31 at intermission.
  • UK made nine 3-pointers – four by Washington and three by Herro – the most 3 in any half since draining 10 in the opening period vs. Tennessee on Feb. 14, 2017.

 
In the Second Half

• Starting the same lineup, the Wildcats picked up where they left off with an 11-0 run to make it 56-31.  Including the end of the first half, UK’s 18-0 run is its longest of the season.
• UK stretched the lead to 33 points at 67-34 with 10:52 remaining.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky limited Auburn to a season-low 53 points. Other SEC opponents who were held to a season low:
  • 47 vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 12 (since eclipsed, VU scored season-low 46 at Tenn. on Feb. 19)
  • 49 at Georgia on Jan. 15
  • 55 vs. Mississippi State on Jan. 22
  • 48 vs. South Carolina on Feb. 5
  • 53 vs. Auburn on Feb. 23
• UK is 72-0 under Coach John Calipari when limiting the opponent to 55 or fewer points, including 8-0 this season.
• Auburn shot 32.8 percent from the field. UK is 177-15 (.922) under Calipari when keeping the opponent at 40 percent or less, including 13-0 this season.
• Kentucky shot 54.5 percent from the field today, the Wildcats’ 11th game this season of at least 50 percent. The Wildcats are 11-0 in those games.
• UK made 11 3-pointers, second most for the Wildcats this season.
• Kentucky won the rebounding 43-24 and points in the paint 30-22.
  • UK is now 19-2 this season when winning/tying the rebounding and 20-3 when prevailing in the paint.
• Kentucky has won 13 of its last 14 games.  During that 14-game span, UK has …
  • Limited the opponents to 38.0 percent from the field.
  • Limited the opponents to 31.4 percent from 3-point range.
  • Limited the opponents to 60.1 points per game.

Player Notes  

• PJ Washington led the way with 24 points, the sixth straight game he has led UK in scoring. 

  • He made a career-best five 3-pointers.
  • It is his 10th 20-point game of the season and his eighth in the last 10 games.
  • He is averaging 21.0 points over the last 10 games.
  • He has 12 straight games in double figures.
• Keldon Johnson totaled eight points, a career-high 17 rebounds and a career-high five assists.
• Tyler Herro scored 17 points, including 3 of 6 on 3-pointers.
  • UK is 14-0 this season when he scores at least 15.
  • UK is 8-0 this season when he makes at least three 3-pointers.
• Nick Richards scored four points and grabbed three rebounds.
  • UK is 11-0 this season when Richards scores at least four points.  
• Ashton Hagans scored 14 points, most for him since tallying 23 at Georgia on Jan. 15.
  • Hagans made only 5 of 27 on 3-point shots coming into this week but made 2 of 4 today and also at Missouri on Tuesday.
• Making his second start of the season, EJ Montgomery piled up six points and seven rebounds while tying his career best for blocked shots with three rejections.

 
Calipari

• Calipari is now 298-68 at UK.  
  • With the win today, he moves past Joe B. Hall for the second-most victories by a UK head coach in program history.
• Calipari has a 743-208 all-time on-court record.
• UK is 241-40 vs. unranked competition under Calipari.
• He’s now three wins shorts of win No. 300 at Kentucky.
• Calipari is now 11-2 vs. Auburn all-time.