Compiled by UK Athletics
UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS, KENTUCKY vs. VANDERBILT
AMALIE ARENA | TAMPA, FLA.
MARCH 11, 2022 ATTENDANCE: 17,132
Final Score: No. 5 Kentucky 77, Vanderbilt 71
Team Records, Series Notes, Etc.
Kentucky is 26-6 overall and has won three in a row.
Vanderbilt is 17-16 overall, ending a three-game win streak.
UK leads the series, 154-47, and has won 13 in a row vs. the Commodores.
The teams are tied 5-5 in games played in the SEC Tournament, although UK leads 4-2 in quarterfinals games.
UK won both games in the regular season, 78-66 in Nashville and 77-70 in Lexington.
Next for Kentucky: UK plays Tennessee in the Saturday’s semifinals at approximately 3:30 p.m. (25 minutes after the conclusion of the 1 p.m. game). It will be televised by ESPN.
Kentucky in the SEC Tournament
Kentucky is now 135-27 all-time in the SEC Tournament, ending a two-game losing skid in the event. UK has never lost three SEC Tournament games in a row.
UK is 46-11 in the quarterfinal round of the tourney and has won seven in a row in the quarters.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Kentucky is 42-3 in semifinal games.
UK is 12-5 in the SEC Tournament vs. Tennessee, including 5-2 in semifinal tilts.
Team Notes
In a tightly contested game that featured four ties, 10 lead changes and neither team leading by more than nine points, Kentucky outlasted Vanderbilt, 77-71.
Kentucky won the rebounding 37-27. The rebounding helped UK have an 11-4 edge in second-chance points and a 20-9 gap in fastbreak points.
UK has a 23-3 record this season when leading the rebounding.
Thanks to Davion Mintz and Jacob Toppin scoring 10 points each, UK won bench scoring 20-7.
Player Notes
TyTy Washington Jr. poured in 25 points, including 17 in the decisive second half, and had a career-best four 3-pointers.
It is his three points away from his career best and fifth game this season of 20 or more points.
In UK’s 23 wins in which he has played, he has averaged 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists, as opposed to 6.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in UK’s six losses.
Oscar Tshiebwe totaled 12 points and 14 rebounds, adding a career-high five blocked shots.
It is his 14th-straight double-double, most for a Wildcat since at least 1967-68 (complete single-game rebounding information available since that season).
It is his 26th double-double of the season, ranking second in the nation in that category and tying the school record of 26 by Dan Issel in 1969-70.
He has scored double figures in 14 straight games, best at UK since Immanuel Quickley had a 20-game stretch in the 2019-20 season.
The nation’s leading rebounder has 19 straight games with double-figure rebounds, longest streak in one season since Kevin Marfo of Quinnipiac had a 20-game stretch in 2019-20. Tshiebwe has grabbed double-figure boards in all but two games this season.
Sahvir Wheeler had eight points, six rebounds and a game-high 11 assists.
Leading the SEC and ranking third nationally in assists, it is his fifth double-figure assist game of the season.
With Keion Brooks limited by foul trouble, Jacob Toppin came off the bench to play 20 minutes, scored 10 points, grabbed two rebounds and blocked three shots.
Playing 29 minutes off the bench, Davion Mintz had 10 points and a season-high five assists and the Wildcats had a +19 margin when he was on the court.
He has 14 double-figure scoring games this season.
Coach John Calipari
Calipari is now 365-99 at UK.
UK is 298-56 vs. unranked competition under Calipari.
Calipari has an 810-239 all-time on-court record.
Calipari is 24-5 in the SEC Tournament, tying Tubby Smith for the third-most coaching wins since the tournament was renewed in 1979.
Calipari is 23-4 vs. Vanderbilt.
In the First Half
The starting lineup was Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington Jr., Kellan Grady, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe for the 24th time this season. The Wildcats are 9-5 with this lineup.
Davion Mintz was the first Kentucky substitution at the 15:47 mark, seventh time this season he has been first off the bench.
Trailing 11-7, Kentucky’s 12-0 run gave the Wildcats a 19-11 lead.
Vanderbilt edged back into the lead but UK scored the last five points of the half and went into the locker room ahead 37-33.
Mintz and Washington led UK in scoring with eight points each and Tshiebwe added six points and six rebounds.
UK is now 24-2 this season when leading at intermission.
In the Second Half
Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
With UK ahead 39-33, Vanderbilt went on a 13-0 spurt to go ahead 46-39.
Kentucky responded with a 16-1 run to claim a 55-47 advantage with 10:51 to go.
After Vanderbilt pulled within one at 59-58, Wheeler hit a jumper and Washington sank a pair of corner 3-balls to give UK its largest advantage, 67-58, with 5:16 to go.
Vanderbilt kept battling and got within 73-69 with 54 seconds left but four free throws by Washington preserved the victory.
Washington led the Cats in the second half with 17 points.
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