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Bob Dixon

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UK POSTGAME NOTES: Cats Improve to 10-2 with 27-Point Victory over Missouri


Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky battles against Missouri Wednesday night at Rupp Arena. (SEC Media Photo)

Compiled by UK Athletics


UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES MISSOURI at KENTUCKY RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY. DEC. 29, 2021 ATTENDANCE: 19,361


Final Score: No. 18/17 Kentucky 83, Missouri 56

Team Records, Series Notes, Etc.

· Kentucky surpassed its win total from 2020-21 to get to 10-2 this season and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference. Missouri dropped to 6-7 and 0-1 in SEC play.

o UK improved to 69-19 all-time in SEC openers.

· The Wildcats are now 14-2 all-time vs. the Tigers and 8-0 in Lexington, Kentucky.

· Kentucky improved to 9-0 at Rupp Arena this season and extended its home winning streak to 10 games, which dates back to last season.

· The announced attendance of 19,361 was the second biggest of the season, behind last game’s crowd of 20,221 vs. Western Kentucky.

· Next up: It will be a quick turnaround for the Wildcats. UK will


host High Point on Friday at noon in Rupp Arena. The game will be televised by SEC Network.

o Prior to the game, current HPU head coach and former UK head coach Orlando “Tubby” Smith will have a jersey retired in his honor. Smith was the head coach of the Wildcats for 10 years, from the 1997-98 season through the 2006-07 campaign. Under Smith, UK won the 1998 national championship, five regular-season SEC championships and five SEC Tournament crowns.


Team Notes

· Kentucky limited Missouri to 56 points. UK is 196-9 under Calipari when holding the opponent to 63 points or fewer, including 8-0 this season.

· UK held Missouri 22 of 67 from the floor, 32.8%. The Wildcats improved to 216-24 under Calipari when they hold the opposition to 40% or less.

o UK is 7-0 this season when holding the opponent below 40% from the field.

· Kentucky recorded 11 steals, its second time this season with double-figure swipes, and scored 21 points off 14 Missouri turnovers.

· The Wildcats led by as many as 27 points in the second half. UK is 296-12 in the John Calipari era when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest.

· Led by Oscar Tshiebwe’s 20 rebounds, UK outrebounded Missouri 49-35. The nation’s No. 1 team in rebounding margin has outrebounded its opponents by at least 14 in all 10 wins this season.


Player Notes

· Keion Brooks Jr. led the Wildcats in the scoring column for the second time this season with 17 points.

o He has scored in double figures three times in the last four games.

o Brooks was 7 of 11 from the floor.

o He added nine rebounds, just missing out on his first double-double of the season.

· Oscar Tshiebwe, who collected multiple national player of the week honors in addition to Co-SEC Player of the Week distinction this week, notched his 10th double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 20 boards.

o After his Rupp Arena record 28 rebounds vs. Western Kentucky, he has grabbed 48 boards over the last two games.

o He moved back into a tie for first place nationally in double-doubles.

o It was his fourth 20-rebound game of the season and his second straight. He also recorded back-to-back 20-board games to start the season.

o The nation’s leading rebounder has grabbed double-figure boards in all but one game this season.

o He was 9 of 10 at the free-throw line.

· TyTy Washington Jr., the reigning Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week posted 14 points and six rebounds.

o He is averaging 15.2 points in Kentucky’s 10 wins this season.

o Excluding the season opener he is shooting 52.0% from the field.

· Sahvir Wheeler, who entered Wednesday’s game ranked second nationally in assists per game (7.7), recorded nine dimes vs. Missouri

o It was his 10th game this season with at least six assists and his seventh with at least eight.

o He added 11 points for his seventh double-figure scoring effort of the season.


Coach Calipari

· John Calipari is now 349-95 at UK.

· Calipari now has a 794-235 all-time on-court record.

· UK improved to 285-56 under Calipari in games vs. unranked Associated Press competition.

· Calipari moved to 11-4 in all-time meetings vs. Missouri.

· The Wildcats are 197-17 in Rupp Arena under Calipari’s watch, including 175-11 vs. unranked AP foes.

· Kentucky improved to 11-2 in SEC openers under Calipari and 12-1 in the first SEC home game of the season.

· Calipari has tallied a 368-116 all-time record within conference play as a head coach and owns a 160-60 record since joining the SEC.


In the First Half

· Kentucky started Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington Jr., Kellan Grady, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe for the 11th time this season and the fifth game in a row. UK is now 9-2 with that starting lineup.

· The Wildcats raced out to an 11-2 lead just 2:25 into the game, forcing Missouri to call timeout.

o UK scored the game’s first seven points.

o The Wildcats made five of their first seven shots.

o Brooks scored the game’s opening bucket, a jumper at the 19:22 mark.

· Jacob Toppin was the first sub for Kentucky. He came in for Brooks at 14:26 after Brooks scored seven early points.

· Missouri came roaring back from an early 17-6 deficit with a lightning-quick 12-0 run over 2:16 of game time to take an 18-17 lead.

o UK went scoreless for 4:41 of action until Tshiebwe ended the run with a layup.

· Kentucky retook control with a 21-2 run, the first 12 points of which were free throws.

o Included in the stretch was a 9-0 spurt to turn a 21-20 lead into a 10-point advantage.

o After the Tigers broke that run with a layup by Javon Pickett, Kentucky came back with an even bigger stretch, a 12-0 run that featured seven points from Washington.

· The Wildcats led 44-27 at halftime and improved to 10-1 this season when leading at the half.

· Kentucky had seven steals in the first half and forced 12 turnovers overall, leading to 19 points.

· Brooks led UK in the first half with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in addition to four rebounds.

· Washington added 10 points, Wheeler recorded seven points and six assists, and Tshiebwe totaled six points and eight rebounds.


In the Second Half

· UK opened the second half with the same starting five as the first half: Wheeler, Washington, Grady, Brooks and Tshiebwe.

· An early 7-0 Missouri run got the game back to single digits at 45-36 with 17:07 left in the game.

o Grady ended the spurt with a 3-pointer.

· Kentucky grinded its way back to a 60-45 lead with 8:37 to go.

· The Wildcats put the game away with a 10-0 run (over 2:39 of game time) late in the second half. Tshiebwe put the exclamation point on the game with an offensive rebound and a thunderous two-hand slam to put the Wildcats up 73-52 at the 4:03 mark to force a Missouri timeout.

· Tshiebwe recorded seven points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in the second half.

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