Kentucky-New Mexico State Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY.
NOV. 6, 2023
ATTENDANCE: 18,438

Final Score: No. 16 Kentucky 86, New Mexico State 46

Team Records and Series Notes

This was the season opener for both teams.
Kentucky leads the series 2-0, with this being the first game in Lexington. The previous matchup was an 82-60 UK win in the 1999 NCAA Tournament in New Orleans.
The Wildcats return to action Friday, Nov. 10, at home against Texas A&M-Commerce. Game time is 7 p.m. and it will be televised on SEC Network+.

Season Openers

Beginning its 122^nd season of men’s basketball, UK now has a 100-21 record in season lidlifters (no official games played in the 1952-53 season).

Team Notes

Kentucky limited New Mexico State to 46 points.
- UK is 90-0 under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 55 points or less.
- UK is 215-10 (95.6%) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 63 points or less.
NMSU shot 32.1% from the field. UK is 234-24 (90.7%) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 40% or less.
Kentucky forced 18 turnovers, 13 of which were steals, and UK won points off turnovers, 24-6.
Kentucky won the rebounding, 43-33.
Kentucky led by as many as 40 points. The Wildcats are 330-14 (95.9%) in the Calipari era when leading by as many as 10 points at any time during the contest.
Five Wildcats scored in double figures, first time that has happened since Jan. 24, 2023 at Vanderbilt.

Rupp Arena

Player Notes

Rob Dillingham led all scorers with 17 points.
J. Wagner tallied 13 points and led the team in steals with three.
Justin Edwards and Reed Sheppard had 12 points each.
Antonio Reeves had 11 points, the 87^th double-figure game of his career.
Tre Mitchell totaled nine points, nine rebounds, five assists and a steal.
Becoming more of an inside presence, Adou Thiero had five points and a career-high seven rebounds.

Coach John Calipari

This was Calipari’s first game against New Mexico State.
Calipari has an 833-253 all-time on-court record and a 388-113 mark at Kentucky.
Calipari is 318-64 (83.2%) at UK against unranked competition.
See additional Calipari notes above under Season Openers and Rupp Arena.

In the First Half

Kentucky started J. Wagner, Antonio Reeves, Justin Edwards, Adou Thiero and Tre Mitchell.
Rob Dillingham was UK’s first substitution at the 16:05 mark.
Trailing 6-2, Kentucky took the lead with an 8-0 run and never trailed again.
UK led by as many as 11 points but an NMSU 3-pointer near the halftime buzzer left the count 37-29 going into intermission.
All eight Wildcats who played also scored, led by eight points each from Reeves and Reed Sheppard.

In the Second Half

Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
The Wildcats scored the first five points of the half to push the advantage to 42-29.
Ahead 48-35, an 11-0 UK run gave the Cats a comfortable cushion, 59-35.
The Wildcats finished the game on a 17-0 run, leading to the final verdict of 86-46.

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