KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES 
LOUISVILLE at KENTUCKY 
RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON
DEC. 28, 2019 
ATTENDANCE: 20,437
Final Score: No. 19/19 Kentucky 78, No. 3/4 Louisville 70
Team Records and Series Notes 

• Kentucky improved its 2019-20 record to 9-3 while dropping Louisville to 11-2 on the season.
• UK increased its series lead to 37-16 over its in-state rival. UK has also won three straight in the series and is now 11-2 vs. Louisville under John Calipari.
• Kentucky improved to 20-5 vs. the Cardinals in Lexington and 6-0 under Calipari in Rupp Arena.

• Next up: Kentucky begins Southeastern Conference play next Saturday vs. Missouri. The Wildcats will host the Tigers at 2 p.m. in Rupp. That game will be televised by the SEC Network.
  • UK has won 48 regular-season SEC titles and five under Calipari.
• A season-high 20,437 were in attendance for the annual showdown with Louisville.
• It’s the first regular-season overtime game in the rivalry and just the second all-time in the series. Louisville won the only other one the – the original “Dream Game,” 80-68 on March 26, 1983.

 
Player Notes   

• Tyrese Maxey, who was named the Bluegrass Sports Commission Most Valuable Player, scored a career-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 4 of 5 from the 3-point line and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line.

  • The 27 points are the most by any player in the rivalry since Louisville’s Damion Lee recorded 27 on Dec. 26, 2015, a 75-73 Kentucky win.
  • It’s the most points by a Wildcat in the series since Jodie Meeks scored 28 points on Jan. 4, 2009, an 74-71 victory by Louisville.
  • His nine made field goals are a career high.
  • His four 3-pointers tied a career high. He also made four vs. Lamar on Nov. 24, 2019.  
  • The freshman pitched in with seven rebounds.
• If Maxey was the most valuable player, Nick Richards was the most outstanding. The junior forward was critical in the win with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes of play.
  • After drawing his fourth foul at the 14:31 mark, he re-entered the game at the 8:53 mark of the second half and managed to navigate his way through the rest of the game – including overtime – without fouling out.
  • It was his team-leading fifth double-double of the season and sixth of his career.
  • Richards also drew 11 fouls for an unconventional triple-double.
• Immanuel Quickley scored a career-high 18 points with two 3-pointers.
  • He went a perfect 8 of 8 from the free-throw line, including two free throws late in overtime to seal the outcome.
  • Quickley scored 14 of his points in the second half and overtime.
• Ashton Hagans pitched in eight points and a game-high eight assists.
  • He now has nine straight games with at least five assists, the best run since Tyler Ulis dished out five or more in 24 straight games from Dec. 26, 2015, to March 17, 2016.
  • His streak of nine games with six or more assists is the longest such run since Ulis dished out six or more in nine consecutive from Feb. 6, 2016, to March 5, 2016.
  • His double-figure scoring streak ended at four games.

Calipari 

• Calipari is now 314-74 at UK.   
• He has a 759-214 all-time on-court record. 
• Calipari is now 17-7 all-time vs. Louisville and 11-2 as the coach at Kentucky.
• He improved to 2-0 vs. second-year Louisville head coach Chris Mack.

Team Notes 

• Kentucky is now 60-49 all-time in overtime games.
  • It’s the Wildcats’ first overtime victory since beating Vanderbilt on Jan. 30, 2018 (83-81)
• UK outrebounded Louisville 35-34, improving to 8-1 this season when winning the battle of the boards.
• For the 11th time in the last 13 games – all during the Calipari era – the team with the best field-goal percentage won the game.
  • UK shot 47.8% to Louisville’s 35.5%, moving Kentucky to 8-0 in 2019-20 when outshooting the opponent.
  • Kentucky improved to 193-17 in the Calipari era when holding the opponent to 40% or less.
• UK blocked five shots but did not get its shot blocked once.
• Transition was key in this one. The Wildcats outscored the Cardinals 20-4 in fastbreak points.
• Another key difference: free throws. The Wildcats made 21 of 25 and Louisville went 9 of 20. The Wildcats were ranked 13th in the nation in free-throw percentage following its game over Ohio State.
  • UK made 11 of 13 (.846) with five minutes to play and in overtime. The Wildcats are 35-43 (.814) from the line in a single-digit game with five minutes to play and in overtime this season.
• Kentucky improved to 61-32 vs. Associated Press Top 25 competition under Calipari.
  • UK is 2-1 against such foes this season.
• UK is now 12-11 vs. opponents ranked in the top five of the AP Top 25 under Calipari.
• Kentucky is now 53-28 when both opponents are ranked in the Calipari era.
• UK avoided its second three-game losing streak under Calipari (four straight losses during the 2017-18 season) with the win vs. Louisville.
• UK is now 52-13 under Calipari in bounce-back games after losses.
• Kentucky led by as many as 12 points in the second half. The Wildcats improved to 269-6 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest.
• The Wildcats improved their Rupp Arena winning streak to seven games.
• There were 13 lead changes and 10 ties in the game. That’s a season high in both categories for the Wildcats this year.

In the First Half 

• The starting lineup consisted of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, Keion Brooks Jr., EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards.

  • It marked Brooks’ first collegiate start.
  • Nate Sestina was the first sub at the 17:01 mark.    

• Dwayne Sutton scored the first points of the game as UK picked up two fouls on the first possession of the game.
• Maxey scored the Wildcats’ first points on a pull-up jumper from the right wing.
• UK mounted the first run of the game – a 7-0 spurt after UK had taken a 6-2 lead – to go up 9-6. Maxey provided a key 3-pointer during the run.
• The teams traded baskets and leads for much of the first half with five lead changes by halftime, but the Wildcats flexed their muscles late in the half. Leading 21-20 with 4:45 left in the half, UK outscored the Cardinals 12-4 going into the halftime.
• The Wildcats took a 32-24 lead into the half thanks to 13 first-half points from Maxey, who also made three 3-pointers.
  • With the win, Kentucky is now 9-0 when leading at the break.
• Kentucky made 4 of 9 from outside the arc in the first half.
• Richards provided a solid post presence with four points, five rebounds and great rim protection, including a block.  
• UK limited Louisville to 1 of 11 from 3.

 In the Second Half 

• UK began the second half the same way it started the first with Hagans, Maxey, Brooks, Montgomery and Richards.
  • Maxey picked up his third foul at the 17:59 mark and had to take an early seat.
• Kentucky took a 38-26 lead after a 3-pointer from Immanuel Quickley in the right corner with 16:53 to play.
  • Sestina provided a key offensive rebound for the second-chance points.
• Louisville reached the bonus by the 14:55 mark.
• Richards picked up two quick fouls in the second half and was tabbed with his fourth with 14:30 remaining, relegating him to the bench for much of the second stanza.
• After UK took a 38-26 lead, Louisville mounted a 14-3 run, much of it with Richards on the bench.
• Sestina’s hook shot at the 11:25 mark was UK’s first field goal since a jumper by Quickley with 15:32 left, more than four minutes of game time.
• Louisville tied the game at 43-43 on a 3-pointer by Darius Perry. Maxey answered on the ensuing possession with a jumper.
• Down 46-45, Maxey hit his fourth 3 of the game to get the lead back at 48-46. On the ensuing defensive possession, playing with four fouls, Richards took a charge – one of two he would take down the stretch – on Louisville’s Malik Williams to force the turnover. It sparked an important 7-0 burst for a 52-46 lead.
• Louisville answered with a 5-0 spurt.
• From there the two teams would exchange leads throughout and into overtime. The Wildcats had a chance to win the game with the score tied at 61-61 but Brooks’ put-back attempt off a Maxey missed jumper went halfway down and then rolled out.

 In Overtime 

• In the overtime period, UK started Hagans, Maxey, Quickley, Brooks and Richards. 
• Louisville won the tip and promptly followed with an “and one” from Sutton.
• After the Cardinals took a 68-65 lead on a Jordan Nwora 3 with 2:21 left, Richards laid it in as he was fouled and tied the game with 1:53 left.
• Again tied, Richards made a layup with 1:23 to take a 70-68 lead and broke another tie with 27 seconds to go for a 72-70-lead.
  • Richards scored seven straight points for the Wildcats late in overtime.
• After grabbing a key rebound with 17 seconds left, Quickley iced the game with two free throws for a 74-70 lead. Maxey added two more and Hagans put the exclamation point on the win with a steal and dunk.