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– Kentucky began its 108th season of intercollegiate basketball tonight.
– UK is now 89-19 in season-opening games and 92-16 all-time in home openers.
– With the victory in tonight’s lidlifter, the all-time winningest program in college basketball history now has 2,024 wins on the books.
– UK leads the series with East Tennessee, 4-0, including 3-0 in games played in Lexington.
– The Wildcats return to action on Friday, Nov. 19, against Portland in the Rose Arena in Portland, Ore. The game will be at 10:30 p.m. EST and televised by ESPNU, the first of 16 UK games that will appear this season on an ESPN affiliate.
First-Half Notes
– Kentucky used the starting lineup of Brandon Knight, Darius Miller, DeAndre Liggins, Terrence Jones and Josh Harrellson.
– After ETSU got the tip and missed a shot on the first possession, Harrellson got the rebound and scored the first points of the season on a short hook shot in front of the basket.
– Brandon Knight got the first three-pointer of the season at 15:59, extending UK’s streak of 750 games with a three-pointer.
– The Wildcats made six of their first seven three-point shots, building a 29-19 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game.
– Kentucky led at halftime, 50-35.
– The Wildcats made 10 of 17 three-pointers in the opening period. UK’s 10 3-pointers in the first half is equal to or better than the Cats’ total three-point output in all but four games last season. UK had a season high 15 total threes vs. ETSU last year.
– The three freshmen who saw action in the first half, Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones, combined for 34 of UK’s 50 points.
Second-Half Notes
– Terrence Jones scored UK’s first 12 points of the second half.
– After ETSU closed to within 52-42, Kentucky put the game away with a 16-0 run for a 68-42 lead.
Jones began the run with 10 straight points.
UK’s last 12 points of the run all involved threes – a basket and free throw by Jones, a three-pointer by Jones, a basket and free throw by Lamb and a three-pointer by Liggins.
– ETSU got no closer than 17 points the rest of the way at 79-62 and 81-64.
Team Notes
– Kentucky extended its Rupp Arena winning streak to 19 games. UK went 18-0 at home last season.
– Kentucky made 50 percent of its three-pointers, 13 of 26. The 13 threes were the most in a season opener since the Wildcats 16 threes (most ever in a season opener) in 1991-92.
– Kentucky dominated the rebounding, 51-33.
– An encouraging sign for the Wildcats was only 10 turnovers in a season opener.
Individual Notes
– Six players made their first official Kentucky appearance tonight – Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Eloy Vargas, Stacey Poole and Jarrod Polson.
– Terrence Jones began his collegiate career with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Jones is the first UK freshman to begin his career with a double-double since Jules Camara in the 1998-99 season.
Jones is only the second freshman in school history with a 20-10 game in his debut. Sam Bowie had 22 points and 17 rebounds on Nov. 17, 1979, vs. Duke.
Jones also played a clean floor game with two assists, two blocked shots and three steals.
– Doron Lamb tallied 20 in his collegiate debut.
– This is the first time in school history that two freshmen scored 20 points in a season opener.
– Darius Miller landed in double-figure rebounding with 11 boards to go along with his eight points.
– DeAndre Liggins totaled 14 points and a game-high six assists.
