COLEMAN COLISEUM | TUSCALOOSA, ALA.
JAN. 26, 2021
ATTENDANCE: 2,055
Final Score: #9/8 Alabama 70, Kentucky 59
Final Score: #9/8 Alabama 70, Kentucky 59
Team Records and Series Notes • Kentucky falls to 5-10 overall, 4-4 in the Southeastern Conference.• Alabama moves to is 14-3 on the season and is unblemished in league play at 9-0.o The Crimson Tide extended its winning streak to 10games.• Kentucky still leads the series 114-40 and 31-25 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.o UK has lost two in one season to Alabama for the first time since the 1988-89 season.o It is the first consecutive losses to Alabama since two straight from 2001 to 2002. • Next up: Kentucky hosts Texas on Saturday in Rupp Arenaat 8 p.m. in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The game will be televised by ESPN.o UK is 4-3 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge and has won three straight games in the event.
Player Notes • Olivier Sarr scored 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting for his second straight game in double figures and seventh this season.• Davion Mintz scored 12 points on a 5-for-11 night from the floor, plus five rebounds and a team-high four assists.o He’s led the Wildcats in scoring a team-high-tying six times. • Dontaie Allen also netted 12 points with all four of his field goals coming on 3-pointers. o It’s his first game in double figures since scoring 14 vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 5.o His four 3-point field goals are his second most, behind only his career-high seven at Mississippi State on Jan. 2.
Coach John Calipari • Calipari is now 335-87 at UK.• Calipari has a 780-227 all-time on-court record. • UK is 63-36 under Calipari against Associated Press Top 25 teams but has lost three straight games vs. ranked teams.• Calipari is 17-6 in his career vs. Alabama.
Team Notes • The game featured six lead changes and nine ties.• Kentucky was held to a season-low 59 points for a third time this season. o UK is now 0-10 this season when scoring 65 or fewer. The Wildcats are 5-0 when totaling at least 76 points. They have not scored between 66 and 75 points in a game this season. • Kentucky held Alabama to 39.2% shooting. UK is 206-23under Calipari when holding the opposition to 40% or less from the field but only 4-4 this season.o UK has held five of its last six opponents to less than 40% from the floor, including four straight games.• Kentucky held Alabama to six 3-pointers, the Tide’s second-lowest total in a game this season.o Alabama was held to three vs. Clemson, one of its three losses, on Dec. 12, 2020. • UK shot just 35.2%, the sixth time this season below 40%. The Wildcats have lost all six of those games.• The Kentucky bench outscored Alabama 21-13.• Kentucky committed 17 turnovers that led to 20 Alabama points.o It’s the fourth time in five games the Wildcats have turned the ball over 17 times or more.o UK is averaging 16.7 turnovers in its losses this and 11.6 turnovers in its wins.
In the First Half • Kentucky started Devin Askew, Davion Mintz, Brandon Boston Jr., Keion Brooks Jr. and Olivier Sarr for thesecond straight game and the third time this season. UK is 1-2 with this lineup.• UK has used seven different starting lineups this season, none of which have started more than three games.• Jacob Toppin was the first sub of the game for UK, checking in at the 18:11 mark for the injured Boston.• It was a difficult start for Kentucky. Boston rolled his ankle not even two minutes into the game and the Wildcats fell behind 13-5 at the first media timeout after a flurry of three Alabama 3-pointers. • Boston returned after a few minutes in the locker room. • Alabama made its first five shots and its first three 3-point attempts. • UK forced six Alabama turnovers in the first nine minutes with changing defenses. • After falling behind early, UK rallied back within 17-16with an 8-0 run midway through the first half with four of the points from Mintz.• Following the 5-for-5 start, including 3 of 3 from behind the arc, Kentucky held Alabama to 4 of its next 15 shots and 0 for 7 on 3. • The Wildcats stayed close the rest of the half and tied the game at 30 on a long, circus 3-pointer by Mintz with the shot clock expiring.• UK trailed 35-32 after Jahvon Quinerly hit a 3 at the buzzer.• UK is now 2-6 this season when trailing at the half.• Mintz led UK with seven points and Sarr and Dontaie Allen chipped in with six points apiece.
In the Second Half • Kentucky opened the second half with the same starting lineup.• UK took its first lead of the game at the 12:48 mark with a jumper by Sarr after a block by Allen on the defensive end. • Kentucky didn’t allow a single Alabama field goal for the first 10:12 of the second half. Alabama’s first 10 points were from the free-throw line.• The teams traded leads for much of the second half with no team leading by more than nine until the final minute. • Mintz’s 3-pointer from the right wing with 4:27 left put UK back in front 54-52.• UK wouldn’t score again until a 3-pointer by Allen with 39.1 seconds left after Alabama answered with a 10-0 run to take a 62-54 lead.• Four of UK’s second-half turnovers were offensive fouls.• Kentucky limited Alabama to just six field goals in the second half, three of them coming in the final 3:09 of game time. Of Alabama’s 35 points after halftime, 22 came at the free-throw line. • Sarr and Allen led UK in the second half with six points apiece.
