KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES 
AUBURN at KENTUCKY
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER                      
FEB. 13, 2021 
ATTENDANCE: 3,075
 
Final Score: Kentucky 82, Auburn 80
 
Team Records and Series Notes                                       

• Kentucky is now 6-13 overall, 5-7 in the Southeastern Conference.
  • Kentucky ended a four-game losing streak and two-game home losing streak.
• Auburn is 11-11 overall, 5-8 in league play.
  • Kentucky leads the series 96-22, including 50-2 in games played in Lexington.

• Next: on Wednesday, Kentucky plays at Vanderbilt. Tipoff is 7 p.m. EST (6 p.m. CST in Nashville) and it will be televised on the SEC Network.

 
Player Notes   

• Isaiah Jackson notched his first Wildcat double-double with a career-high 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds.  He scored 13 points in the decisive second half.
• Brandon Boston Jr. had 17 points for the second-consecutive game, including 14 points in the second half.
  • He made 5 of 8 on 3-pointers today and 9 of 13 from long range in the past two games.    
  • He also tied career bests with three assists and four steals.
  • He’s the first UK player to hit four or more 3-pointers in consecutive games since Immanuel Quickley had four against Florida on Feb. 22, 2020 and eight at Texas A&M on Feb. 25, 2020.
• Keion Brooks Jr. came off the bench with 12 points and five rebounds, tying career highs with four assists and two steals.
  • He has scored in double figures in each of the last four games and is averaging 11.6 points per game since returning 10 games ago.
• Olivier Sarr had nine points, including a 3-pointer, and had a season-high four blocked shots.
  • He has made at least one long shot in each of the last four games, totaling 7 of 11 during that span.
• Devin Askew had nine points, a career-high-tying five rebounds, and four assists.
  • He has four games in a row with at least four assists.
• Davion Mintz had nine points, including the tie-breaking 3-pointer with 34 seconds to go.

 
Coach John Calipari 

• Calipari is now 336-90 at UK.
• Calipari has a 781-230 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 273-52 under Calipari against teams unranked in The Associated Press Top 25.
• Calipari is 13-5 in his career vs. Auburn.

 
Team Notes 

• Kentucky tied its season high with 82 points and it is the first time this season that UK has eclipsed 80 points in consecutive games. 
• UK’s 52 points in the second half is the most for the Wildcats in any half this season.
• With 11 3-pointers made today, and 14 made Tuesday vs. Arkansas, UK’s 25 long balls in consecutive games is the most since making 25 vs. Arkansas and South Carolina in the 1998 SEC Tournament. 
  • It is the first time UK has made 11 3s in consecutive games since Feb. 2016 vs. South Carolina and Tennessee. 
• Free throws were a difference-maker as UK earned its way to the foul line 25 times, making 17, while Auburn had 10 charity tosses, making nine.
• With 15 assists and 13 turnovers, UK is now 6-2 this season when winning or tying assist/TO margin.
• Auburn had 17 turnovers, which Kentucky converted to 24 points.
• Kentucky led by as many as 13 points. UK is 285-11 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points during the game, although only 4-3 this season.
• UK improved to 2-5 this season in games decided by three points or fewer.

 
In the First Half 

• Kentucky started Devin Askew, Davion Mintz, Brandon Boston Jr., Isaiah Jackson and Olivier Sarr for the fourth-straight game and seventh time this season. UK is 2-5 with this lineup.

  • Lance Ware was the first substitute at the 15:28 mark.
• Auburn scored the first five points and led the entire half.
• UK missed its first seven field goals until Jackson made two foul shots at the 16:11 mark. UK also missed its eighth shot before Jackson’s dunk at the 15:11 mark.
• Auburn led by as many as nine points at 18-9 before UK had a 7-0 spurt.
• With Auburn ahead 28-24 at the 3:21 mark, UK fouled and received a technical foul.  Auburn made 3 of 4 free throws to go ahead 31-24.  Adding a basket later, Auburn matched its largest lead of the half at 33-24. 
• Auburn went to halftime ahead 36-30.
  • Kentucky is now 3-8 when trailing at halftime this season.
  • This was the largest halftime home deficit ever overcome vs. Auburn. The previous mark was on Jan. 2, 1980, when UK overcame a five-point halftime home deficit against the Tigers.

 
In the Second Half 

• Kentucky opened the second half with the starting lineup.
• The Wildcats had a quick 8-2 spurt for the first tie of the game at 38.
• UK took its first lead, 42-41, at 16:38 on a 3-pointer by Sarr. A rebound and layup by Jackson and a 3-pointer by Mintz lengthened the lead to 47-41, coaxing an Auburn timeout at 15:50.
  • All totaled, UK opened the first 4:10 of the half with a 17-5 run. 
• Auburn got a technical foul at 13:12 and when Askew made both free throws, UK improved its lead to 55-45.
• UK got its largest lead at 13 points at 60-47, coming at the 11:44 spot. 
  • At that point, UK already had matched its first half total of 30 points.    
• At 5:55, Askew made a desperation 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to make it 72-60.
  • However, in a span of 10 seconds, Auburn made two foul shots, got a UK offensive foul and layup, then a steal and layup and suddenly it was 72-66 with 5:28 to go. 
• Kentucky was still ahead 75-68 with 3:38 to go when Auburn went on a 9-2 run to tie at 77.
• On the ensuing possession, with 34 seconds left, Mintz made the shot of the game by nestling the netting on a 3-pointer to shove UK up 80-77.
  • It was the second game in a row that Mintz made a crucial 3 in the final minute.
• Jackson blocked a shot; Jacob Toppin recovered and was fouled, making the second one with 22.3 seconds to go (81-77).
• Auburn missed a layup and dunk, Jackson rebounded, and made the second foul shot with eight seconds left (82-77).
• Auburn was fouled on a 3-point try with 1.1 seconds on the clock, making all three (82-80).
• UK inbounded the ball to preserve the win.