KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES 
KENTUCKY at ALABAMA
COLEMAN COLISEUM | TUSCALOOSA, ALA.
JAN. 26, 2021 
ATTENDANCE: 2,055
 
Final Score: #9/8 Alabama 70, Kentucky 59
 
Team Records and Series Notes                                       

• Kentucky falls to 5-10 overall, 4-4 in the Southeastern Conference.
• Alabama moves to is 14-3 on the season and is unblemished in league play at 9-0.
  • The Crimson Tide extended its winning streak to 10 games.

• Kentucky still leads the series 114-40 and 31-25 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
  • UK has lost two in one season to Alabama for the first time since the 1988-89 season.
  • It is the first consecutive losses to Alabama since two straight from 2001 to 2002.
• Next up: Kentucky hosts Texas on Saturday in Rupp Arena at 8 p.m. in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The game will be televised by ESPN.
  • UK is 4-3 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge and has won three straight games in the event.

 
Player Notes   

• Olivier Sarr scored 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting for his second straight game in double figures and seventh this season.
• Davion Mintz scored 12 points on a 5-for-11 night from the floor, plus five rebounds and a team-high four assists.
  • He’s led the Wildcats in scoring a team-high-tying six times.
• Dontaie Allen also netted 12 points with all four of his field goals coming on 3-pointers.
  • It’s his first game in double figures since scoring 14 vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 5.
  • His four 3-point field goals are his second most, behind only his career-high seven at Mississippi State on Jan. 2.

 
Coach John Calipari 

• Calipari is now 335-87 at UK.
• Calipari has a 780-227 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 63-36 under Calipari against Associated Press Top 25 teams but has lost three straight games vs. ranked teams.
• Calipari is 17-6 in his career vs. Alabama.

 
Team Notes 

• The game featured six lead changes and nine ties.
• Kentucky was held to a season-low 59 points for a third time this season.
  • UK is now 0-10 this season when scoring 65 or fewer. The Wildcats are 5-0 when totaling at least 76 points. They have not scored between 66 and 75 points in a game this season.
• Kentucky held Alabama to 39.2% shooting. UK is 206-23 under Calipari when holding the opposition to 40% or less from the field but only 4-4 this season.
  • UK has held five of its last six opponents to less than 40% from the floor, including four straight games.
• Kentucky held Alabama to six 3-pointers, the Tide’s second-lowest total in a game this season.
  • Alabama was held to three vs. Clemson, one of its three losses, on Dec. 12, 2020. 
• UK shot just 35.2%, the sixth time this season below 40%. The Wildcats have lost all six of those games.
• The Kentucky bench outscored Alabama 21-13.
• Kentucky committed 17 turnovers that led to 20 Alabama points.
  • It’s the fourth time in five games the Wildcats have turned the ball over 17 times or more.
  • UK is averaging 16.7 turnovers in its losses this and 11.6 turnovers in its wins.

 
In the First Half 

• Kentucky started Devin Askew, Davion Mintz, Brandon Boston Jr., Keion Brooks Jr. and Olivier Sarr for the second straight game and the third time this season. UK is 1-2 with this lineup.

  • UK has used seven different starting lineups this season, none of which have started more than three games.
  • Jacob Toppin was the first sub of the game for UK, checking in at the 18:11 mark for the injured Boston.
• It was a difficult start for Kentucky. Boston rolled his ankle not even two minutes into the game and the Wildcats fell behind 13-5 at the first media timeout after a flurry of three Alabama 3-pointers.
  • Boston returned after a few minutes in the locker room.
  • Alabama made its first five shots and its first three 3-point attempts.
• UK forced six Alabama turnovers in the first nine minutes with changing defenses.
• After falling behind early, UK rallied back within 17-16 with an 8-0 run midway through the first half with four of the points from Mintz.
• Following the 5-for-5 start, including 3 of 3 from behind the arc, Kentucky held Alabama to 4 of its next 15 shots and 0 for 7 on 3.
• The Wildcats stayed close the rest of the half and tied the game at 30 on a long, circus 3-pointer by Mintz with the shot clock expiring.
• UK trailed 35-32 after Jahvon Quinerly hit a 3 at the buzzer.
  • UK is now 2-6 this season when trailing at the half.
• Mintz led UK with seven points and Sarr and Dontaie Allen chipped in with six points apiece.

 
 In the Second Half 

• Kentucky opened the second half with the same starting lineup.
• UK took its first lead of the game at the 12:48 mark with a jumper by Sarr after a block by Allen on the defensive end.
• Kentucky didn’t allow a single Alabama field goal for the first 10:12 of the second half. Alabama’s first 10 points were from the free-throw line.
• The teams traded leads for much of the second half with no team leading by more than nine until the final minute.
• Mintz’s 3-pointer from the right wing with 4:27 left put UK back in front 54-52.
• UK wouldn’t score again until a 3-pointer by Allen with 39.1 seconds left after Alabama answered with a 10-0 run to take a 62-54 lead.
• Four of UK’s second-half turnovers were offensive fouls.
• Kentucky limited Alabama to just six field goals in the second half, three of them coming in the final 3:09 of game time. Of Alabama’s 35 points after halftime, 22 came at the free-throw line.
• Sarr and Allen led UK in the second half with six points apiece.