KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES 
KENTUCKY at TENNESSEE
THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA                                              
FEB. 20, 2021 
ATTENDANCE: 4191
 
Final Score: Kentucky 70, No. 19/20 Tennessee 55
 
Team Records and Series Notes                                       

• Kentucky is now 8-13 overall, 7-7 in the Southeastern Conference.
  • UK has won three in a row – tying its longest winning streak of the season – and picked up its first win this season vs. a ranked opponent. 
• Tennessee is 15-6, 8-6 in league play.

• Kentucky leads the overall series 157-75, including 57-52 in games played in Knoxville.
  • This was UK’s largest margin of victory in Knoxville since a 66-48 win in 2015.
  • UK won by double figures in Knoxville for the second year in a row, first time to accomplish that since doing it four in a row from 1995-98.
• Next: After a week-long tour of the Volunteer State, Kentucky returns home to host Texas A&M Tuesday at 7 p.m.  The game will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.  

 
Player Notes   

• Isaiah Jackson notched 16 points and seven rebounds.

  • During UK’s three-game win streak, he is averaging 16.3 points and nine rebounds per game.
  • His 18 points vs. Auburn, 15 at Vanderbilt and 16 today are his three-highest games of the season. 
• Davion Mintz had 15 points, all in the first half, on a career-high-tying five 3-pointers.
  • It was the most made 3s by a UK player in the opening half at Tennessee since Jodie Meeks also had five on Jan. 13, 2009
  • Mintz leads the Wildcats with 41 3-pointers this season and he’s knocked down two more from long range in seven of his last eight games played.
• Keion Brooks Jr. had 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.  Both of the double-doubles of his career have been this season against Tennessee.
• Bolstered by a perfect 6 of 6 at the foul line, Olivier Sarr had 10 points and seven rebounds, his 11th double-figure game of the season.
• Jacob Toppin contributed six points, four rebounds, a career-high two steals and a blocked shot in 18 minutes of action as he continues to have an impact on both ends of the floor.

 
Coach John Calipari 

• Calipari is now 338-90 at UK.
• Calipari has a 783-230 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 64-38 under Calipari against teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25.
• Calipari is 18-13 in his career vs. Tennessee.

 
Team Notes 

• Kentucky held Tennessee to 55 points.
  • UK is a perfect 79-0 under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 55 or fewer points, including 2-0 this season.
• UK limited Tennessee to 32.1% from the field. 
  • UK is 208-24 under Calipari when keeping the opponent at 40 percent or less, although only 6-5 this season when that occurs.
• Kentucky won the rebounding 43-31, keeping Tennessee to only two second-chance points.
• Kentucky made half of its 3-point shots today, 7 of 14.
  • UK has made an average of 10 3-pointers over the last four games, shooting 44.4% from long range (40 of 90).
• Kentucky made 85 percent of its foul shots today, 17 of 20.
  • UK made 41 of 45 (91.1) during the road wins at Vanderbilt and Tennessee.
• With 12 assists and 11 turnovers, UK is now 8-2 this season when winning or tying assist/TO margin. UK has not won a game this season without being on the positive side of the margin.
• UK led by as many as 21 points. UK is 287-11 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points during the game, including 6-3 this season.
• This marked the first win over an Associated Press Top 25 ranked opponent this season.
  • It’s the first win over a ranked foe on the road since a 78-76 overtime win at Texas Tech on Jan. 25, 2020
  • The 15-point win matches the largest win over a ranked team on the road under Calipari. UK also beat No. 16 Florida (March 4, 2012) and No. 22 Louisville (Dec. 31, 2010) by 15 on the road.

 
In the First Half 

• Kentucky started Devin Askew, Davion Mintz, Brandon Boston Jr., Isaiah Jackson and Olivier Sarr for the sixth-straight game and ninth time this season. UK is 4-5 with this lineup.

  • Jacob Toppin was the first substitute at the 16:39 mark.
• Trailing 10-8, Kentucky took the lead for good by holding Tennessee scoreless for almost six minutes and going on a 15-0 run.
  • It is UK’s largest run against an SEC opponent this season. 
• Kentucky extended its lead to 17 on three occasions and went to halftime ahead 45-30.
  • UK shot 60.7% from the field, 66.7% from 3-point range, and 100% at the foul line.
  • For the second consecutive game, Mintz and Jackson sparked the first half.  Mintz made all five of his 3-pointers for 15 points while Jackson had 13 points, including all five of the foul shots that UK attempted in the opening period.   
  • Kentucky is now 5-5 this season when leading at halftime.

 
In the Second Half 

• Kentucky opened the second half with the starting lineup.
• UK missed its first seven field-goal attempts of the half but stayed afloat with six straight free throws. Brooks broke the drought with a short driving banker with 15:49 left.
• All totaled, UK made its first 12 foul shots of the game before a miss with 14:59 remaining.
• Despite missing 14 of its first 16 shots from the field in the second half, a short banker by Sarr gave UK its then-largest lead of the game at 58-38 at the 12:14 mark.
• UK’s eventually posted its largest advantage of 21 points, 70-49, with less than two minutes left.