UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
ROBERT MORRIS at KENTUCKY
RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.
NOV. 12, 2021
ATTENDANCE: 18,454

Final Score: No. 10/11 Kentucky 100, Robert Morris 60
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky notched its first win of the season to get back to .500 at 1-1. Robert Morris fell to 0-2.
• This was the regular-season home opener for UK.
  • The Wildcats are now 42-4 in home openers in Rupp Arena and a perfect 13-0 under head coach John Calipari.

• UK now leads the series 3-1 and 3-0 in games in Lexington, Ky.
• This was the first of three straight games in the Kentucky Classic, a multi-team event.
• Next up: Kentucky hosts Mount St. Mary’s on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Rupp Arena in game two of the Kentucky Classic. The game will be televised on SEC Network.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky reached the 100-point mark for the first time since scoring 107 vs. UIC on Nov. 26, 2017 in a 107-73 win.
• The Wildcats’ 40-point victory was their largest margin of victory since defeating Eastern Kentucky by 42 points (91-49) on Nov. 8, 2019.
• With an up-tempo pace for much of the game, Kentucky scored 1.449 points per possession, the most since posting 1.47 points per possession vs. Alabama in the Southeastern Conference on March 11, 2016.
• Led by another herculean effort by Oscar Tshiebwe on the boards (20 total for the junior), Kentucky outrebounded Robert Morris 43-24, including 14 offensive rebounds.
  • The Wildcats capitalized with 18 second-chance points.
• After shooting just 37.7% vs. Duke, Kentucky was 40 of 70 from the floor on Friday, 57.1%.
  • Meanwhile, the Wildcats limited RMU to 37.7% shooting, improving Kentucky’s record to 210-24 (89.7%) when holding the opponent to 40% or less from the floor.
• The Wildcats made 12 of 23 from 3-point range, 52.2%.
• Six Wildcats scored in double figures, the first time that’s happened since Nov. 8, 2019, vs. Eastern Kentucky.
• UK held Robert Morris to 60 points to improve to 189-9 (95.9%) when holding the opponent to 63 points or less under John Calipari.

 
Player Notes  

• Oscar Tshiebwe posted his second straight double-double to start the season and 14th of his career with 14 points and 20 rebounds.

  • He has 40 rebounds through two games, the most by a UK player to start a career.
  • According to ESPN Stats & Info, his 22 offensive rebounds through two games is tied with Louisiana Tech’s Paul Millsap for the most by an NCAA Division I player in any two-game span over the last 25 seasons.
  • His 20 rebounds tied for the most by a UK player in Rupp Arena history (Chris Mills had 20 vs. Miami [Ohio] on Dec. 17, 1988, and Jared Prickett pulled down 20 vs. Arkansas on Feb. 9, 1994).
    • Shaquille O’Neal totaled 21 rebounds vs. UK on Feb. 15, 1990, for a Rupp Arena record that still stands today.
• Kellan Grady led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 4 of 6 from behind the arc.
  • He also had a game-high-tying three steals.
• Sahvir Wheeler dished out 12 assists, his second straight game with double-figure dimes. Through two games, he has 22 assists, the best two-game total to start a Kentucky career.
  • Wheeler also added a game-high-tying three steals.
• After playing just two minutes vs. Duke on Tuesday, Daimion Collins enjoyed a breakout game with 14 points with six rebounds and a game-high four blocks.
  • He made 7 of 8 shots in 21 minutes of action.
• Davion Mintz scored 13 points with 12 of them coming in the second half on four 3-pointers.
• Keion Brooks Jr. reached double figures with 13 points.
• TyTy Washington Jr. chipped in with 10 points, all coming in the first half.

 
Coach Calipari

• Calipari improved to 340-94 at UK.
• Calipari has a 785-234 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 276-55 in games vs. unranked Associated Press competition.
• Calipari is 2-1 in his career vs. Robert Morris.

 
In the First Half

• Kentucky started Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington Jr., Kellan Grady, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe for the second straight game.
• Grady opened the game with a 3 on the first possession.
• Daimion Collins was the first sub at the 17:12 mark.
• The Wildcats got off to a fast start with a 13-2 lead. At the first media timeout, Tshiebwe already had four points and five rebounds.  
• Up 28-20, Kentucky went on a 12-2 run to begin to pull away. Collins was key in the stretch with a pair of offensive rebounds, back-to-back baskets and an impressive swat at the top of the key.
• Dontaie Allen saw his first action of the season late in the second half and splashed in a 3 at the 3:46 mark to put Kentucky up 40-22.
• Washington and Grady led the Wildcats with 10 points apiece in the first half.
• Tshiebwe was well on his way to a double-double with seven points and six boards, including six offensive rebounds.
• Kentucky led 46-30 at the half.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky started the second half with the same starting five: Wheeler, Washington, Grady, Brooks and Tshiebwe.  
• Wheeler opened the second stanza with a layup and the Wildcats picked up full-court pressure. It immediately paid off with a steal by Grady for an alley-oop layup to Brooks.
• Davion Mintz caught fire in the second half with four 3-pointers – three in the left corner coming over a two-and-a-half minute stretch midway through the second half. They helped stretch what was a 65-44 lead to 76-46 advantage, an 11-2 run.
  • He followed with a fourth just over a minute later and finished the half with four treys and 12 points.
• A game-best 11-0 run midway through the second half extended Kentucky’s lead to 87-48 with 5:23 to play.
• Collins stole the show over the final seven minutes of the game with 10 points and four dunks, the final one of which got the Wildcats to the 100-point mark with 39 seconds left.
  • Wheeler was responsible for the final three buckets and had seven assists in the half.