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Brandon Boston Jr. recorded the first double-double of his career plus boxscore and other game notes

Brandon Boston Jr. scored 20 points and recorded the first double-double of his career with 10 boards in the loss to Richmond.

Go here for boxscore.

Team Records and Series Notes                                       

  • Richmond takes the Bluegrass Showcase with a 76-64 win. Richmond is 2-0 and is 1-1.
  • This was the first meeting between the teams.
  • Next: Kentucky plays Kansas in the Champions Classic on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be televised on ESPN. 

Bluegrass Showcase All-Tournament Team

  • Nathan Cayo (Richmond), Most Valuable Player
  • Grant Golden (Richmond)
  • Jr. (Kentucky)
  • (Kentucky)
  • Julius Dixon (Morehead State)

Player Notes   

  • Brandon Boston Jr. scored 20 points and recorded the first double-double of his career with 10 boards.
    • He led the Wildcats in scoring in both games of the young season, averaging 17.5 points per game.
    • He also led in rebounding in the opening week with 8.5 boards per game.
  • Olivier Sarr had 17 points and 11 rebounds. It is his first double-double at Kentucky and 12th of his career.
  • tallied 15 points, his second game in double figures, to go along with six rebounds.
  • had six points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
  • Keion Brooks Jr. missed his second straight game with a left leg injury. He remains day-to-day.

Coach John Calipari 

  • Calipari is now 331-78 at UK.
  • Calipari has a 776-218 all-time on-court record. 
  • UK is 268-45 vs. Associated Press unranked foes under Calipari. Richmond is receiving votes in the current polls.
  • The Wildcats fell to 184-12 in Rupp Arena under Calipari.
  • Looking ahead to next game, UK is 55-13 under Calipari following a loss.

 

Team Notes 

  • Kentucky had a plus23 rebound margin, 54-31, and won second-chance points 19-10.
  • It was a tough shooting day for the Wildcats, who made 36.1% from the field, were 0 for 10 from 3-point range and 60.6% at the foul line.
    • It was the second time in the last 73 games that UK did not make a 3-pointer. The previous time came March 15, 2018, when the Wildcats went 0 for 6 but won an NCAA Tournament game over Davidson. Prior to that Davidson game, UK had made a 3-pointer in 1,047 straight games heading into that Davidson contest, which at the time was the longest streak in the nation.
  • Kentucky managed just five assists and zero in the second half.
    • The five assists are tied for the fewest of the Calipari era, tying a five-assist performance in an overtime win vs. LSU on Feb. 22, 2014.
  • The Wildcats’ 12-points loss in Rupp Arena is tied for the largest defeat at home of the Calipari era.
  • Kentucky’s 21 turnovers were its most since 22 mishaps in a win vs. ETSU on Nov. 17, 2017.
    • UK also lost by 12 points to Texas A&M, 83-71, on Jan. 12, 2013.
  • It’s only the third time in 12 seasons of the Calipari era the Wildcats failed to start 2-0.

In the First Half 

  • The starting lineup consisted of freshmen Devin Askew, Brandon Boston Jr., Terrence Clarke, Cam’Ron Fletcher and senior Olivier Sarr, the first start for that combination.
    • Davion Mintz and Isaiah Jackson were UK’s first substitutes at the 15:41 mark.
  • A closely contested first half saw Richmond’s largest lead at three points at 14-11 and UK’s largest advantage was four points on two occasions.
  • Tied at 26, Sarr scored UK’s final six points as the Wildcats went to halftime ahead 32-28. Sarr paced the Cats with 14 points in the opening stanza.

 In the Second Half 

  • Kentucky opened the second half with Askew, Boston, Clarke, Jackson and Sarr.
  • Kentucky lengthened its led to six points at 34-28 and 36-30 before Richmond put together a 9-0 run to take the lead at 39-36.
  • UK responded with a 5-0 run to go back ahead 41-39.
  • Richmond got a basket-and-one from Nathan Cayo, putting the Spiders ahead for good at 42-41.
  • The visitors steadily increased their advantage, including a 7-0 run that put them ahead 58-46.
  • UK got within eight at 58-50 with six minutes to go but got no closer.
  • Richmond stretched the lead to as many as 16 points at 72-56 and 74-58.

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.

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On This Day in UK Basketball History

On March 15, 1973, No. 17 Kentucky defeated Austin Peay, 106-100 in overtime in the 1973 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen.  In UK’s first NCAA Tournament game without Adolph Rupp as its coach, senior center Jim Andrews scored 30 points, but it was senior reserve Larry Stamper who tallied the final six points in overtime as the Wildcats outlasted Austin Peay and its charismatic star, James “Fly” Williams (26 points), before 15,581 fans in Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym.  This was Joe B. Hall’s first NCAA tourney win.

 

On March 15, 1992, eligible for postseason play for the first time in three years, Kentucky dominates Alabama, 80-54, to take its 16th SEC Tournament Championship.

 

Wildcats Born on This Date

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