UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY at ALABAMA
COLEMAN COLISEUM | TUSCALOOSA, ALA.
FEB. 5, 2022
ATTENDANCE: 12,477

Final Score: No. 5/7 Kentucky 66, Alabama 55
 
Team Records, Series Notes, Etc.

• Kentucky is now 19-4 on the season and has won four in a row. UK is 8-2 in the SEC.
• Alabama is 14-9 overall, 4-6 in the SEC. 

• Kentucky leads the series, 115-40, ending a two-game win streak by UA in this series.
  • UK leads 32-25 in games played in Tuscaloosa.
• Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats complete the two-game road swing Tuesday at South Carolina.  Game time is 7 p.m. ET and it will be televised on ESPN.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky has won four of its last five road games.
  • Alabama lost at home for only the second time this season, also vs. No. 1-ranked Auburn
• Alabama had 55 points, 28.1 percent field-goal percentage (18 of 64) and 10 percent 3-point percentage (3 of 30), season lows for the Crimson Tide in all three categories.
• With Alabama scoring 55 points, UK is 83-0 under Calipari when holding the opponent to 55 or fewer points, including 4-0 this season.
• 55 points is the fewest allowed by UK vs. an SEC opponent since UK’s 70-55 win at Tennessee last season.
• Alabama’s 28.1 field-goal percentage is the lowest by a Kentucky opponent this season. UK is 219-24 (.901) under Calipari when the opponent shoots 40 percent or less, including 10-0 this season. 
• The nation’s leader in rebound margin, Kentucky won two games this week while being outrebounded, including 47-44 tonight.
• Despite the relatively low point total in the game, Kentucky still managed to place five players in double figures, the first time that has happened since the North Florida game on November 26.
• 12 of Alabama’s 15 turnovers were steals by Kentucky, enabling the Wildcats to run the court and have a 16-4 advantage in fast-break points.
• Kentucky led by as many as 17 points. UK is 304-13 (95.9%) under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest.

 
Player Notes  

• TyTy Washington had a game-high 15 points, his first game in double figures since his career-high 28 on Jan. 15 vs. Tennessee.

  • He has averaged 14.4 points in the 18 wins in which he has played this season, vs. 6.0 points per game in UK’s four losses.
• Keion Brooks had 10 points and five rebounds.
  • He is averaging 17.3 points per game during UK’s four-game win streak.
• Oscar Tshiebwe totaled 10 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high-tying four steals.
  • It is his 17^th double-double of the season, ranking third in the nation in that category.
  • The nation’s leading rebounder has grabbed double-figure boards in all but two games this season.
  • He has 10 straight games with double-figure rebounds, first Wildcat to do so since Julius Randle had 10 in a row in 2014.
  • For the third game in a row, he had a career-high four steals.  He has had at least three thefts in six of the last seven games.  
• Obviously keying on him and attempting to limit his shots, Kellan Grady scored 10 points tonight and did shoot efficiently when he got the chance – making 3 of 5 field goals, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
  • Over the last 14 games he is averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field (65 of 134), including 47.1 percent (49 of 104) from 3-point range.
  • Has made a 3-pointer in 17 straight games, most since Jamal Murray made a three in all 36 games of the 2015-16 season.
• Although not a career high in scoring, Daimion Collins undoubtedly had his most important contribution as a Wildcat, with 10 points and six rebounds in nine minutes of action.
  • His scoring was highlighted by 6 of 6 at the foul line, career bests in both categories.
  • UK had a +13 scoring margin during his nine minutes on the court.
  • UK is 12-0 this season when Collins scores.
• Sahvir Wheeler, the SEC leader in assists, had a game-high seven tonight.
  • It is his 13^th game this season with at least seven assists.

 
Coach John Calipari

• John Calipari is now 358-97 at UK.
  • UK is 292-56 against unranked competition under Calipari.
• Calipari has an 803-237 all-time on-court record. 
• Calipari has tallied a 375-118 all-time record within conference play as a head coach and owns a 167-52 record since joining the SEC.
• Calipari is 18-8 against Alabama.  

 
In the First Half

• The starting lineup was Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington Jr., Kellan Grady, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe for the 19^th time this season.  That lineup now has a 15-4 record.
• Lance Ware was the first Kentucky substitution at the 15:12 mark, first time this season he has been first off the bench.
• Alabama’s Charles Bediako got the first two baskets of the game as UA raced to a 9-1 lead.
• The Wildcats gradually edged back into it and took their first lead at 15-14 with 8:55 remaining.
• Trailing 21-20 when Daimion Collins entered with 4:46 to go, he scored the go-ahead basket, as he scored six points in two minutes and the Wildcats led 29-24 when he exited.
• UK took a 33-27 lead into halftime, as Collins, Washington and Tshiebwe each scored six points.
• UK is 18-2 this season when leading at intermission.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
• With UK ahead 41-37, Alabama went more than four and one-half minutes without scoring and a 9-0 put the Wildcats ahead 50-37.
• A breakaway dunk by Brooks with 2:53 remaining completed a 20-7 run over a stretch of 11:21 and gave UK its largest lead at 61-44.
• A 7-0 run got Alabama within 61-51, but Grady’s 3-point dagger with 1:16 remaining sealed the verdict.
• Washington’s nine points led the second-half scoring while Tshiebwe gathered 11 rebounds.