POSTGAME NOTES: UK Overcomes Ole Miss 80-76 Tuesday Night

Compiled by UK Athletics

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

KENTUCKY at OLE MISS

THE PAVILION AT OLE MISS | OXFORD, MISS.

MARCH 5, 2019 ATTENDANCE: 9,500

Final Score: Kentucky 80, Ole Miss 76

Team Records and Series Notes

· Kentucky improves to 25-5 overall and 14-3 in the Southeastern Conference.

· Ole Miss falls to 19-11 and 9-8 in league play.

· The Wildcats now have a 107-13 lead in the all-time series, including a 29-10 mark in Oxford, Mississippi.

· UK has won 10 straight games in the series and four consecutive games in Oxford.

· Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats will conclude the regular season Saturday in Rupp Arena vs. Florida. That game will be televised live at 2 p.m.

o It will mark the final home game for graduate student Reid Travis and senior Jonny David. The duo will be honored before the game a part of Senior Day.

In the First Half

· Kentucky started the combination of Ashton Hagans, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson (pictured) , PJ Washington and EJ Montgomery for the third time this season.

o Reid Travis missed his fourth straight game with a sprained right knee. His timetable for a return was at least two weeks from the injury, which occurred Feb. 19 at Missouri.

· An early 7-0 run by Ole Miss put the Rebels up 12-6 but Herro and Immanuel Quickley 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions – surrounding an Ole Miss basket – stopped the run.

· Washington picked up his second foul at the 12:58 mark and did not play the rest of the half.

· An 8-0 burst for the Wildcats put UK up 25-21 with 8:16 left in the first half. The Cats then had a 6-0 run minutes later. Overall it was a 16-4 run overall to take a 21-17 deficit and turn it into a 33-25 advantage with 6:05 left in the half.

· Ole Miss answered with an 11-1 burst to take a 36-34 lead. Herro ended it with a fade-away jumper from the baseline.

· Johnson and Herro combined for 27 points in the first half.

o Johnson scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including an old-fashioned 3-point play and breakaway dunk to cap the 16-4 run.

o Herro scored 13 on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance in the first half.

In the Second Half

· Kentucky opened with the same starting five: Hagans, Herro, Johnson, Washington and Montgomery.

· After sitting for most of the first half in foul trouble, Washington got going in the second half. He had 10 points by the 8:11 mark to give UK a 67-62 lead.

· Nick Richards gave UK a six-point lead, 75-69 and after that, UK did not make a field goal over the last 3:01 of the game.

o The Wildcats made five free throws over that closing span.

· Locked in a close game, the Wildcats made five of their last six foul shots in the closing minutes, including two each from Herro and Quickly in the last 17 seconds.

o Quickley’s two free throws with six seconds left made it a four-point game.

Team Notes

· Kentucky will be no worse than a game out of first place in the SEC heading into the final game of the season. Tennessee’s victory on Tuesday keeps the Volunteers a game ahead of the Wildcats while LSU still has to play its midweek game on Wednesday.

· UK improved to 8-2 in true road games this season.

· Kentucky seven turnovers were its second fewest in a game this year.

· Kentucky made just four 3-pointers, tying its season low, which it has equaled on seven occasions.

· The Wildcats 55.4 percent of their shots. They’re 13-0 when shooting 50 percent or better.

· UK outscored Ole Miss 34-24 in the paint and our now 22-3 when winning the battle in the lane.

Player Notes

· Keldon Johnson led the Wildcats with 22 points, his most since putting up 24 vs. Utah on Dec. 15.

o It’s the sixth time this season he’s scored 20 or more but the first since Jan. 19 at Auburn.

o Johnson was 9 of 18 from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds.

o His nine made field goals were a career high.

· Tyler Herro returned to his strong form on the road with 20 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting.

o He finished the season with a 15.5 scoring average on 50.5-percent shooting in UK’s 10 road games this season.

o It was his fifth game with 20 or more points this season.

o It was his team-leading 24th game in double figures.

· PJ Washington scored 13 points, all in the second half, after sitting much of the first half in foul trouble.

o He’s scored in double figures in 14 of the last 15 games.

· Ashton Hagans scored 10 points, going 3 of 3 from the floor and making 4 of 5 free throws.

o He reached double-figures for the ninth time this year, and third time in the last six games.

· EJ Montgomery blocked a career-high four shots in addition to the six rebounds he grabbed.

· Nick Richards scored six points and grabbed four rebounds

o UK improved to 13-1 this season when Richards scores at least four points

John Calipari

· Calipari is now 300-69 at UK, becoming the fourth-fastest coach in NCAA Division I history to 300 wins at a school.

· Bill Self reached No. 300 in 358 games at Kansas, Claire Bee got there in 359 games at Long Island and Adolph Rupp hit 300 wins in his 366th game at UK

· Calipari has a 745-200 all-time on-court record.

· He is now 243-40 vs. Associated Press unranked competition at Kentucky.

· Calipari is now 15-4 vs. Ole Miss in his career.

Photo by Mike Cyrus