- Kentucky is 23-1, 8-1 in the Southeastern Conference while Alabama is 13-11 overall, 3-7 in league action.
- Kentucky has won four in a row.
- Kentucky leads the series, 99-35, including 52-10 in Lexington.
- Kentucky returns to action on Saturday at 9 p.m. at home vs. Tennessee. The game will be televised by ESPN.
First-Half Notes
- Kentucky used the starting lineup of John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Darnell Dodson, Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins for the third-consecutive game.
- Alabama jumped out to a pair of seven-point leads at 9-2 and 11-4.
- Kentucky took its first lead, 15-13, on a three-pointer by Wall at the 11:15 mark.
- Wall’s three-pointer extended UK‘s streak of 735 consecutive games with at least one long ball.
- Wall provided a highlight reel moment on a fast break when he took the ball around his back for a layup and a foul (free throw good) at the 3:41 mark of the half. The play increased UK’s lead to 24-19.
- Wall totaled 11 points and six rebounds in the first half as Kentucky led at intermission, 31-24.
Second-Half Notes
- Alabama got the first basket of the half, narrowing the score to 31-26, but that is as close as the Crimson Tide got the remainder of the game.
- Kentucky gradually increased its lead to as many as 14 points on three occasions (42-28, 46-32, 48-34).
- With Alabama lurking near at 52-45 with eight minutes to go, Wall played a hand in UK’s next eight points – two foul shots (7:16), two baskets (5:56 and 5:00), and a drive-and-dish for a Daniel Orton dunk, putting UK up 60-51 with 2:30 left on the clock.
- Alabama got within six points, 61-55, with 55 seconds left on an Anthony Brock three-pointer, but the Wildcats tallied the final five points to ice the victory.
Team Notes
- This was the second-straight game with UK holding the opponent to 55 points.
- Kentucky limited Alabama to 33.3 percent shooting from the field (21 of 63). It is the seventh time this season, and the second game in a row, that the UK opponent has made one-third or fewer of its shots.
- UK did a great job getting to the basket and drawing fouls, outscoring UA 19-9 at the foul line.
Individual Notes
- DeMarcus Cousins had 16 points and 13 rebounds.
- Cousins has 15 double-doubles, a UK freshman record, and the most for a Wildcat since Jamaal Magloire claimed 15 in the 1999-2000 season.
- Cousins has seven-straight double-doubles, the longest streak since Jim Andrews had 10 straight in 1973.
- John Wall had 22 points and 10 rebounds.
- It is his fifth 20-point game of the season, most vs. an SEC opponent and most since his high of 25 against Connecticut on Dec. 9.
- Wall’s 10 rebounds is a career-best.
- It is his third double-double game of the season, the first with points and rebounds. The other two double-doubles were points and assists.
- With two assists, Wall extended his UK freshman assist record to 151.
- DeAndre Liggins contributed eight points and seven rebounds.
- Liggins has been active on the boards lately, averaging 5.4 boards over the last five games.
