RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER
JAN. 23, 2021
ATTENDANCE: 3,075
Final Score: Kentucky 82, LSU 69
Team Records and Series Notes • Kentucky is now 5-9 overall, 4-3 in the Southeastern Conference, breaking a three-game losing streak.• LSU is 10-4 on the season, 5-3 in league play.• Kentucky leads the series, 91-27 and has won two in a row vs. the Tigers.o UK leads 45-6 in games played in Lexington.• Next for the Wildcats: Kentucky at Alabama on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST (6 p.m. CST in Tuscaloosa). The game will be televised on ESPN.o Alabama won the first matchup earlier this month, 85-65 in Rupp Arena.
Player Notes • Brandon Boston Jr. has led the Wildcats with 18 points in each of the last two games.o It is his best two-game stretch of the season after totaling 35 in the first two games.o He also had six rebounds, three assists and no turnovers tonight.o He made multiple 3-pointers for the third time this season and the first time since Dec. 19 vs. Notre Dame. • Keion Brooks Jr. had a season-high and career-high-tying15 points, 13 of which sparked the Wildcats in the first half.He also had a season-best and career-high-tying nine rebounds. o He has scored in double figures in four of five games since missing the first nine games of the season with a left leg injury.• Olivier Sarr notched 13 points, including 7 of 8 at the foul line, and had five rebounds in just 12 minutes of action.• Isaiah Jackson had six points and a career-high 15 rebounds, with all of it but two rebounds coming in the second half, in just 16 minutes. o The 15 boards are the most by a Wildcat since Nick Richards tallied 16 vs. Arkansas on Feb. 26, 2019.
Coach John Calipari • Calipari is now 335-86 at UK.• Calipari has a 780-226 all-time on-court record. • UK is 272-51 under Calipari against teams unranked in the Associated Press Top 25.• Calipari is 13-3 in his career vs. LSU.
Team Notes • Kentucky scored a season-high 82 points tonight.• Oddity: The Wildcats have not scored between 66 and 75 points in a game this season. UK is 5-0 this season when scoring at least 76 points, 0-9 when scoring 65 or less.• LSU shot 38.5% tonight. UK is 206-22 under Calipari when holding the opposition to 40% or less from the field, including 4-3 this season.• The Tigers shot a season-low 17.4% on 3-point shots (4 of 23), also tying their season low for 3-pointers made.• UK has held four of its last five opponents to less than 40% from the floor, including three straight.• Kentucky had nine turnovers tonight. UK is averaging 11.6 turnovers in wins this season and 16.7 miscues in losses. • UK dominated the rebounding, 46-31, leading to a 19-14 edge in second-chance points.• The Kentucky bench play was highly productive tonight. UK won bench points 25-11 and all four Wildcat reserves who played scored at least six points. • The Wildcats’ 15 assists were their most since the win at Florida on Jan. 9.• Kentucky returned to .500 at Rupp Arena this season.• UK avoided what would have been the third losing streak of four games or more in the 12-season Calipari era.
In the First Half • The starting lineup consisted of Devin Askew, Davion Mintz, Brandon Boston Jr., Keion Brooks Jr. and Olivier Sarr for the second time this season. UK is 1-1 with this lineup.• UK has used seven different starting lineups this season, none of which has started more than three games.• Isaiah Jackson was the first sub of the game for UK, checking in at the 16:35 mark.• Behind 4-2, Kentucky went on a 10-0 run to go ahead 12-4and the Wildcats never trailed again.• Moments later, UK increased the margin to 17-7 as the Wildcats made six of their first eight shots, including 3-of-3 on 3-pointers.• UK pushed the lead to 26-11 after Dontaie Allen canned a pair of 3-pointers.• Kentucky’s largest lead of the half was 16 points at 33-17 when Ware got a basket-and-one with 7:52 remaining.• The Wildcats led 49-36 at halftime, the second-largest halftime advantage of the season (largest is 45-26 in season opener vs. Morehead). • It was the most points (49), most 3-pointers (six), most 3-point attempts (17) and most assists (13) of any half this season.• Brooks led the way with 13 points, already a season high for him.• UK is now 3-4 this season when leading at intermission.
In the Second Half • Kentucky opened the second half with the starting lineup.• LSU came out with a 13-5 spurt, cutting the score to 54-49 and UK called timeout at 15:45.• Ahead 56-51, Boston scored eight straight points to give UK a 64-51 lead.• LSU got within seven points at 70-63 but a 7-0 Wildcat burst cushioned the Cats at 77-63.