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- Kentucky is 7-0 on the season. Illinois State is now 3-5.
- This was the first meeting between the schools in men’s basketball.
- Kentucky returns to action Thursday, Dec. 3, at UCLA. Game time is 9 p.m. EST and it will be televised on ESPN.
Game Notes
- Kentucky started with the lineup of Isaiah Briscoe, Jamal Murray, Charles Matthews, Alex Poythress and Skal Labissiere for the first time this season.
- Illinois State had the strong start, jumping out to a 7-1 advantage.
- Kentucky regained the lead, then the teams battled back-and-forth for the remainder of the first half. After six ties and three lead changes, the teams were knotted at intermission, 31 each.
- Kentucky opened the second half with a steal by Matthews, layup by Briscoe and three-pointer by Murray to take a quick five-point lead.
- Ahead 46-40, the Wildcats went on a 10-0 run to open a 56-40 lead, their largest of the game.
- The Redbirds battled back, closing within seven at 63-56 with less than four minutes to play, but ISU got no closer.
Team Notes
- Kentucky attempted 46 free throws, second-most in the John Calipari era. The most was 48 foul shots vs. UNC Asheville on Nov. 8, 2013.
- Kentucky blocked nine shots tonight, equaling its season best vs. NJIT.
- With 2,185 all-time wins, Kentucky is the nation’s leader in that category.
- This marks the 25th time in school history that UK has opened a season 7-0, the fourth time under Coach Calipari.
- Calipari has a 642-178 (.783) all-time record, including a 197-38 (.838) mark at Kentucky.
- Calipari is 107-4 (.964) in Rupp Arena.
- UK extended streaks of 38 consecutive regular-season wins and 25 straight wins in Rupp Arena.
- Kentucky is now 122-5 (.961) under Calipari when limiting the opponent to 63 or fewer points.
- Derek Willis made a 3-pointer at the 1:09 mark of the opening half, extending UK’s streak of games with a made 3-pointer to 946, the second-longest streak in the nation.
- For the third time in the last 50 seasons, UK has won each of its first seven games of a season by at least 11 points (1982-1983, 2014-2015, 2015-2016).
- For the second time since 1982-1983 UK has won each of its first seven games of a season while scoring at least 74 points (1987-1988, 2015-2016).
Notes on the No. 1 Ranking
- UK owns an all-time record of 218-28 (.886) as the nation’s top-ranked team.
- UK is 66-5 (.930) under Calipari when ranked No. 1 and the Wildcats have been in the No. 1 slot in five of the seven years of Calipari’s term in Lexington.
- Calipari is 107-10 (.915) all-time as the head coach of the AP’s No. 1 team.
Player Notes
- Junior Marcus Lee totaled 13 points and 12 rebounds, the second double-double of his career, along with the Duke game on Nov. 17.
- Freshman Isaiah Briscoe had a season-high 18 points, added seven rebounds and led the Cats in assists with three.
- Freshman Jamal Murray notched 16 points, his fifth-consecutive double-figure game.
- Junior Dominique Hawkins tied his career high with seven points, making a career-high five foul shots.
