POSTGAME NOTES: Utah Defeats No. 6 Kentucky 69-66 Wednesday Night

By UK Athletics

Final Score: Utah 69, No. 6/6 Kentucky 66

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Dec. 18, 2019 Attendance: 5,507

Team Records and Series Notes

Kentucky falls to 8-2 on the season and had its six-game winning streak come to an end. Utah improved to to 9-2 on the season. Despite the loss, UK still leads the series 10-3. Utah’s win ended an eight-game winning streak by UK in the series. Next up: Kentucky will remain in Las Vegas for the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday. The Wildcats will play Ohio State at 5:15 p.m. ET on CBS.

Player Notes

Ashton Hagans (Photo by Jamie H. Vaught)

Ashton Hagans scored in double figures a team-leading eighth time this season with 16 points. He also had a game-high eight assists and a season-high four steals. He has led the Wildcats in assists in every game this season.

Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 18 points to reach double figures for the first time since the Lamar game on Nov. 24. It snapped a three-game single-figure scoring streak. He had 10 at halftime. After going 1 for 17 in his previous two games, Maxey made 7 of 13 Wednesday night.

EJ Montgomery pitched in with eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds. It’s his first double-figure rebounding game of the season and the third of his career. He has snagged eight or more rebounds in three of the last four games.

Nate Sestina returned to the lineup after a three-game absence. He fractured his left wrist on Nov. 26. He played nine minutes.

Team Notes

UK suffered its first all-time loss in Las Vegas. The Wildcats are now 4-1 in the City of Lights. Utah shot 54.8%. It’s the first time this season an opponent has shot 50% or better. The last time a team shot 50% or better vs. UK was Duke (54.4%) on Nov. 6, 2018. The Wildcats recorded seven steals. Kentucky has recorded six or more steals in three straight games and four of the last five.Kentucky continued to shoot it well from the free-throw line, making 12 of 16 shots. The Wildcats have shot 75% or better from the line in eight of the first 10 games.