UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
LSU at KENTUCKY
RUPP ARENA at CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY
FEB. 23, 2022
ATTENDANCE: 20,199

Final Score: No. 6/3 Kentucky 71, RV/NR LSU 66
 
Team Records, Series Notes, Etc.

• Kentucky is 23-5 overall, 12-3 in the Southeastern Conference. LSU is 19-9 overall, 7-8 in SEC.
  • With the win tonight, Kentucky clinches a double-bye in the SEC Tournament.

• UK leads the series, 92-28, including 46-6 in games played in Lexington.
  • The teams split the regular-season series as LSU won 66-60 on Jan. 4 in Baton Rouge.
• Next for UK: the Wildcats play at No. 18/18 Arkansas on Saturday. Game time is 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT in Fayetteville) and the game will be televised by CBS.

 
Team Notes

• This was the third time this season that UK has rallied from a double-digit deficit to win the game, also 13-point deficits at Texas A&M and Saturday vs. Alabama. 
• Kentucky has won 18 in a row in Rupp Arena, including 17-0 this season.
• Kentucky limited LSU to 36.8% from the floor. UK is 221-24 (90.2%) under John Calipari when keeping the opponent at 40% or below, including 12-0 this season.
• Kentucky won the rebounding 36-24, and is 20-2 this season when winning the boardwork.
• Kentucky led by as many as 15 points.
  • UK is 308-13 (96.0%) under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest.
• Missing Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington Jr. for the second-straight game because of injury, Kentucky has been at full strength for only 12 complete games this season.

 
Player Notes  

• Oscar Tshiebwe assembled 17 points, 16 rebounds and blocked three shots.  

  • It is his 10th-straight double-double, first Wildcat to do that since Jim Andrews had 10 consecutive double-doubles in the 1972-73 season.
  • It is his 22nd double-double of the season, ranking second in the nation in that category.
    • It is tied with Dan Issel (1968-69) for the third most in a single season in UK history. Issel owns the record with 25 such instances in 1969-70.
  • The nation’s leading rebounder has 15 straight games with double-figure rebounds and grabbed double-figure boards in all but two games this season.
• Playing the full 40 minutes, Kellan Grady tallied 13 points and had all three of UK’s assists.
  • Over the last 19 games, he is averaging 13.9 points per game.
  • Missing all five 3-point attempts, he ended a streak of making a 3-pointer in 21 straight games. 
  • He also ended a string of making at least two 3-pointers in nine straight games.
  • He now ranks No. 127 in Division I history with 2,348 career points.
• Davion Mintz had 13 points and is averaging 11.4 points over the last seven, with UK going 6-1 during that stretch. 
  • Mintz had two steals and has led the team in that category in two straight games.
• Playing 15 minutes, Bryce Hopkins had a career-high 13 points, with 11 coming in the 15-2 spurt that gave UK the lead for good.
  • UK is 15-0 this season when Hopkins scores. 

 
Coach John Calipari

• Calipari is now 362-98 at UK.
  • UK is 295-56 against Associated Press unranked competition under Calipari.
• Calipari has an 807-238 all-time on-court record. 
  • He moved into sole possession of 12th-place on the Division I collegiate coaching on-court victories. He passed Eddie Sutton who finished his career with 806.
• Calipari has tallied a 379-119 all-time record within conference play as a head coach and owns a 171-53 record since joining the SEC.
• Calipari is 14-4 vs. LSU.  

 
In the First Half

• The starting lineup was Davion Mintz, Kellan Grady, Jacob Toppin, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe for the second game in a row. 
• Lance Ware was the first Kentucky substitution at the 15:22 mark, third time this season that he has been first off of the bench.
• UK scored on its first three possessions for a 6-3 lead, but three early 3-pointers put LSU up 11-6.
• LSU’s Xavier Pinson scored 14 early points, staking the Tigers to a 22-15 lead.  
• LSU lengthened the advantage to 27-16 as the Tigers made five of their first seven 3-point shots.
• LSU went to halftime ahead 31-23, UK’s fewest points in the first half this season and first time this season UK trailed at halftime at home. 
  • The previous low was 30 points on three occasions, including the first game vs. LSU.
• Tshiebwe led Kentucky in the first half with 12 points and seven rebounds.
• UK is now 2-3 this season when trailing at intermission.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
• Mintz made UK’s first 3-pointer at 19:07.
• Trailing 36-28, UK put together an 11-0 run – highlighted by nine points from Bryce Hopkins – as UK regained the lead at 39-36.
  • UK lengthened the spurt to 19-4, including two more from Hopkins, for a 47-40 lead.  
• For a 17-minute stretch – from 7:00 in the first half through the first 10 minutes of the second half – LSU was held to 13 points as UK turned a 27-19 deficit into a 47-40 lead.
• LSU got within four points at 49-45, but UK eventually stretched the lead to 15 points at 65-50 with 3:17 left.
• LSU made a furious rally to get within 68-64, and got the ball with 34 seconds remaining, before UK held on for the 71-66 win.
• Hopkins had all 13 points in the second half and Mintz added 11 in the second stanza.