- Kentucky is now 5-0 on the season. Cleveland State falls to 3-2.
- UK is now 1-0 all-time against the Vikings.
- Kentucky returns to action on Wednesday in the championship game taking on the winner of the Stanford/Virginia game. Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. ET with the game being televised on CBS College Sports.
Team game notes
- The Wildcats used the starting combination of Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Darius Miller, Patrick Patterson and John Wall for the fourth straight game. Kentucky is 4-0 with that starting five.
- UK won the opening tip. The Wildcats have won the opening tip in all four games this season. DeMarcus Cousins has jumped center for every game this year.
- DeMarcus Cousins scored the game’s first points 2:03 into the game.
- Ramon Harris was the first sub off the bench for Kentucky. It was his second time this season to be the first Wildcat off the bench.
- UK extended its string of 716 consecutive games making a three-pointer.
- Kentucky carried a 35-27 lead into halftime. The Wildcats are now 4-0 when leading at the half.
- The Wildcats opened the second half on an 18-4 run to take a 53-31 lead.
- The UK defense held Cleveland State to a season low 49 points. The Vikings’ previous low was 6 at St. Bonaventure.
- The Wildcats outrebounded the opposition for the fifth time this season, outrebounding the Vikings 48-28.
- Kentucky’s +20 rebound margin was its largest this season.
- For the fifth time this season, Kentucky outscored its opponent in the paint, putting up 26 to Cleveland State’s 14.
- UK has advanced to its second straight in-season tournament championship. The Wildcats won the Las Vegas Invitational last year.
Individual game notes
#1 Darius Miller
- Just missed his first career double-double with nine points and eight rebounds
- Pulled down a season high eight rebounds
#4 Jon Hood
- Converted his first career three-pointer
#5 Ramon Harris
- Pulled down a season high eight rebounds
#15 DeMarcus Cousins
- Converted his first career three-point attempt
- Has scored in double-digits in last three games, averaging 15.0 ppg.
#24 Eric Bledsoe
- Has a three-pointer in three straight games and four of UK’s first five games.
#54 Patrick Patterson
- Finished with nine points, putting him over 1,100 for his career (1,105).
- Patterson recorded nine points and five rebounds in the first half.
#55 Josh Harrellson
- Hit his first three-pointer of the season, knocking down the open look with: 02 left in the first half
- Finished with a season best five points
Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter’s Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.