Men's Basketball
Kentucky-UCLA Postgame Notes

Kentucky-UCLA Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN | NEW YORK, NY

DEC. 17, 2022
ATTENDANCE: 20,261

 

Final Score: No. 16/14 UCLA 63, No. 13 Kentucky 53

 

Team Records and Series Notes

  • Kentucky is now 7-3 on the season, ending a four-game win streak. UCLA has won seven in a row and is 10-2 on the season.
  • The all-time series is tied 8-8, with UCLA winning two in a row.
    • UCLA leads 6-5 at neutral sites, including 2-0 in games played in New York.
  • Kentucky is 4-5 in the CBS Sports Classic. UK is 1-2 against UCLA in the event.
  • Kentucky is 38-16 all-time in the New York City area, including 14-6 in the modern day iteration of Madison Square Garden.
  • Next for UK: the Wildcats play host to Florida A&M on Wednesday in the Unity Series game. Game time is 7 p.m. and it will be televised on the SEC Network.

 

Team Notes

  • Kentucky limited UCLA to 63 points.
    • UK is 208-10 (95.4%) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 63 points or less, including 6-1 this season.
    • UK had won its last 21 games when the opponent scored 63 or less, dating back to the 2020-21 season.
  • UK had season lows with 32.8% from the field, 38.5% at the free throw line and 18 turnovers.

Player Notes

  • Freshman Chris Livingston had a season-high 14 points, his first game to lead UK in scoring.
  • Oscar Tshiebwe had eight points and 16 rebounds, his sixth straight game with at least a dozen boards. He also blocked three shots and had two steals.
  • Sahvir Wheeler had 11 points, his third straight game in double figures, and had a game-high six assists.
  • Lance Ware provided a spark off the bench, with two points and season highs with five rebounds and three assists.

 

Coach John Calipari

  • Calipari is 4-5 vs. UCLA.
  • Calipari has an 817-244 all-time on-court record and a 372-104 mark in his 14th season at UK.
  • UK is 67-46 (59.3%) against ranked competition under Calipari.

 

In the First Half

  • Kentucky started the combination of Sahvir Wheeler, Cason Wallace, Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe for the fifth straight game.  UK is now 4-1 with this lineup.
  • CJ Fredrick and Chris Livingston were UK’s first substitutes at the 15:12 mark.
  • Tied at 7, UCLA steadily built a 33-20 advantage and never trailed again.
  • Late in the half, Lance Ware gave the Wildcats a spark on both ends of the court and UK went on a 7-0 run to pull within 33-27; a Bruin basket near the buzzer made it 35-27 at intermission.
  • Scoring leaders were Wallace with seven points, Wheeler and Tshiebwe with six, and Tshiebwe had nine rebounds.

 

In the Second Half

  • Kentucky opened the second stanza with Tshiebwe, Ware, Livingston, Wallace and Wheeler.
  • Livingston scored eight early points as UK assembled a 10-2 spurt, tying it at 38.
  • Tied at 40, UCLA went on a 6-0 run and the Bruins led the remainder of the game.
  • Kentucky cut it to 55-53 with 4:31 to go, but the Wildcats went scoreless the rest of the way.

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