KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES 
UTAH VALLEY at KENTUCKY 
RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.  
NOV. 18, 2019 
ATTENDANCE: 18,859
Final Score: Kentucky 82, Utah Valley 74
Team Records and Series Notes 

• Kentucky moves to is 3-1 on the season. Utah Valley is 3-2.

• Kentucky leads the series 2-0.
• Tonight’s game was the first in the BBN Showcase multi-team event. The upcoming games vs. Mount St. Mary’s, Lamar and UAB also are part of the event.  

• Next up: Kentucky continues its eight-game homestand Friday vs. Mount St. Mary’s. That game will tip at 7 p.m. and be televised on SEC Network. 

Player Notes   

• Ashton Hagans scored a career-high 26 points and led the Wildcats with five assists.

  • It is the second 20-point game of his career. He scored 23 at Georgia on Jan. 19.
  • He also made 12 of 12 at the foul line, career bests in both categories. The last Cat to make at least 12 perfectly was Jodie Meeks, who was 14 of 14 at Tennessee on Jan. 13, 2009 (his UK single-game record 54-point night).
  • Hagans is the 15th player in school history to go perfect from the free-throw line with at least 12 attempts.
• Nick Richards collected 21 points and 10 rebounds, his second double-double of the season and third of his career. He had an efficient shooting night, making 8 of 11 from the field and all five at the charity stripe.
• Nate Sestina scored eight points and snared 12 rebounds, most by a Wildcat this season.

Calipari 

• Calipari is now 308-72 at UK.   
• He has a 753-212 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 248-41 vs. Associated Press unranked competition under Calipari, including 149-5 at home.
• UK is now 51-12 under Calipari in bounce-back games following a loss. 
• The Wildcats have never lost two games in a row at home under Calipari.

 Team Notes 

• Kentucky controlled the rebounding, 46-27, leading to a 16-7 advantage in second-half points.
• UK made 31 of 34 at the foul line (91.2%). It is UK’s second-best free throw shooting performance of the Calipari era (min. 30 att.). On March 23, 2012 vs. Indiana, Kentucky made 94.6% (35 of 37).
  • It’s the first time UK has made 30 free throws in a game since making 30 vs. Auburn on March 14, 2015 (30 of 35).
• UK kept its home dominance intact under Calipari. The Wildcats haven’t lost back-to-back home games under Calipari since losing back-to-back games on Feb. 28 and March 4, 2009, vs. LSU and Georgia, respectively.
  • Kentucky hasn’t lost back-to-back nonconference home games since dropping two straight to UL Lafayette and Louisville on Dec. 23 and 25, 1989.

In the First Half 

• The starting lineup consisted of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, Kahlil Whitney, Nate Sestina and Nick Richards.  

  • Johnny Juzang was the first sub. 

• Trailing 13-12, UK went ahead on a Hagans layup and pair of foul shots.
• The Wildcats stayed ahead the remainder of the half, stretching the lead to as many as eight at 33-25 and the intermission score of 35-27.
• Richards’ 11 points and seven rebounds paced the Cats, who made 14 of 15 foul shots in the opening frame.

 In the Second Half 

• Kentucky began the second half with the original starting lineup.
• UK opened the half with baskets by Richards and Maxey, coaxing a Wolverine timeout at 18:41.
• Kentucky eventually made it a 9-1 spurt, widening the advantage to 44-28.
• UK led 52-38 when UVU’s TJ Washington made three straight 3-pointers, suddenly cutting the score to 54-47.
• Utah Valley continued to chip away, pulling within two at 60-58.
• Hagans drove for a layup and got a steal; UVU’s Washington was assessed a technical foul and Hagans made both foul shots, making it 64-58.
• Utah Valley stayed the course, narrowing to 68-67 on another Washington 3 at the 3:26 mark.
• Once again it was Hagans to the rescue, with a drive-and-dish to Sestina for a basket-and-one.
• A Richards tip-in and two Hagans foul tosses made it a 7-0 run, plumping the cushion to 75-67 with 41 seconds left.
• Additional free throws kept the visitors at bay en route to an 82-74 final.