UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
ALABAMA at KENTUCKY
RUPP ARENA at CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY
FEB. 19, 2022
ATTENDANCE: 20,374

Final Score: No. 4/3 Kentucky 90, No. 25/RV Alabama 81
 
Team Records, Series Notes, Etc.

• Kentucky is now 22-5 overall, 11-3 in the SEC.
• Alabama ends a three-game win streak today and is 17-10 overall, 7-7 in the SEC. The Crimson Tide’s last two losses have been against Kentucky, Feb. 5 and today.

• UK leads the series, 116-40, including 59-11 in games played in Lexington.
  • Kentucky won both meetings during the regular season, also 66-55 in Tuscaloosa.
• Next for UK: the Wildcats play host to LSU on Wednesday for the 9 p.m. game on ESPN.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky has won 17 in a row in Rupp Arena, including 16-0 this season.
• This was the seventh game this season that UK scored at least 90 points, most since the 2016-17 team did it 14 times.
• Kentucky shot 53.2% from the field and UK is 12-1 this season when making at least 50%.
• Kentucky made 9 of 14 on 3-pointers, a season-high 64.3 percent and the fifth-highest of the Calipari era.
• Kentucky won the rebounding 39-32 and is 18-2 this season when winning the boardwork.
• Trailing 41-28 in the first half, UK went on runs of 15-0 and 20-2 en route to a total run of 46-17, flipping the Wildcats to a 74-58 lead, its largest of the game at 16 points.
  • UK is 307-13 (95.9%) under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest.
• Alabama made 9 of its first 12 3-pointers, then only 1 of its next 19. The Tide finished 14 of 40 from long range.
• Grady is the fifth Wildcat to score 25 or more points in a game this season.
• Missing Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington Jr. today because of injury, Kentucky has been at full strength for only 12 complete games this season.

 
Player Notes  

• Kellan Grady had a career-high-tying seven 3-pointers en route to a season-high 25 points.

  • Over the last 18 games, he is averaging 13.9 points per game while shooting 47.1 percent (64 of 136) from 3-point range.
  • Has made a 3-pointer in 21 straight games, most since Jamal Murray made a 3 in all 36 games of the 2015-16 season. 
  • He has made at least two 3-pointers in nine straight games.
  • Although he played 39:07 today, it is the first time in 10 games that UK’s “Steady Eddie” has not led the team in minutes played.
  • He moved into the all-time collegiate top-150 scorers today. He now ranks No. 135 in Division I history with 2,335 career points.
  • With seven 3-pointers in today’s win, Grady has made 82 3-pointers on the season which is tied with James Young and Patrick Sparks for the ninth most in a single season at Kentucky.
• Oscar Tshiebwe marshaled 21 points and 14 rebounds while tying his career high with three assists.
  • It is his ninth-straight double-double, first Wildcat to do that since Jim Andrews had 10 consecutive double-doubles in the 1972-73 season.
  • It is his 21st double-double of the season, ranking second in the nation in that category.
    • He is tied for fourth with Andrews in the UK single-season record books for double-doubles in a season.
  • The nation’s leading rebounder has 13 straight games with double-figure rebounds and grabbed double-figure boards in all but two games this season.
  • It is his team-leading ninth 20-point game of the season.
• Keion Brooks Jr. scored 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds while tying his career best for minutes played with 37.
  • He is averaging 14 points over the last eight games, seven of which are UK wins.
  • It is his 14th double-figure scoring game of the season.
  • He has earned two or more steals in three straight games.
• Starting for the second time this season, Jacob Toppin had 13 points and six rebounds.
  • He has scored in double figures in the last three games he has played, first time he has done that in his career.
  • He led the team in minutes today, playing a career-high 39:24.
• Making his third start of the season, Davion Mintz assembled seven points, two assists and a career-high three steals.
• Daimion Collins played only four minutes, but made them count with six points and four boards.
• Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington Jr. did not play today because of injuries.

 
Coach John Calipari

• Calipari is now 361-98 at UK.
  • UK is 67-42 against Associated Press ranked competition under Calipari.
• Calipari has an 806-238 all-time on-court record. 
  • He moved into a tie for 12th with Eddie Suttor for the most all-time on-court victories in Division I history.
• Calipari has tallied a 378-119 all-time record within conference play as a head coach and owns a 170-53 record since joining the SEC.
• Calipari is 19-6 vs. Alabama.  

 
 
 
In the First Half

• The starting lineup was Davion Mintz, Kellan Grady, Jacob Toppin, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe for the first time this season. 
• Bryce Hopkins was the first Kentucky substitution at the 12:39 mark, second time this season that he has been first off the bench.
• Alabama scored on its first seven possessions, including three 3-pointers, and led 17-9 at the first television timeout.
• By the 14:00 mark, Alabama had made four 3-pointers, already one more than they made the entire game in Tuscaloosa, when the Crimson Tide made 3 of 30.
• By the 9:00 mark, Alabama had made 9 of 12 from long range and led 35-24.
• Alabama got its largest lead of the half at 41-28 with 5:35 on the clock.
• Trailing 46-34 with 3:05 to go, UK closed the half with a 13-0 run for a 47-46 halftime lead.
  • Grady’s 3-pointer with 42 seconds left gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game.
• Grady led the way in the first half with 13 points while Tshiebwe had 10 points and six rebounds.
• UK reserves played only seven minutes in the first half while Alabama’s played 36 minutes.
• UK is 21-2 this season when leading at intermission.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
• UK got the first basket of the second half, completing the run at 15-0 to make it 49-46.
• Moments later, an eight-point Alabama run put the Tide ahead 56-54.
• Kentucky followed with a 20-2 spurt pushing the lead to 74-58, its largest of the game at the 10:50 mark.
  • Since trailing 41-28 in the first half, UK’s total run was 46-17.
• UK’s lineup played the first 11 minutes of the half, with Collins entering for Tshiebwe at 8:54.
  • Collins was the only substitute in the second half, playing just two minutes.
• Alabama kept battling, narrowing the gap to seven points at 80-73 with 4:53 left, but a Grady 3 and a Mintz desperation banker at the expiration of the shot clock restored some cushion.
• Grady (12 points) and Tshiebwe (11 points, eight rebounds) again were the pacesetters in the second half.