Kentucky Basketball

Jacob Toppin ties a career-high against Gonzaga plus Boxscore and other Game Notes

November 21, 2022
Walter Cornett

 

Go here for boxscore.

MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
SPOKANE ARENA | SPOKANE, WASH.

NOV. 20, 2022

ATTENDANCE: 12,333

Final Score: No. 2 Gonzaga 88, No. 4 Kentucky 72

Team Records and Series Notes

  • Kentucky is 3-2, Gonzaga is 3-1.
  • The series is tied, 1-1.  The previous matchup was an 80-72 Kentucky win on Nov. 27, 2002, in Maui, Hawaii.
  • Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats return home after the game and will seek to extend its 22-game home win streak Wednesday vs. North Florida.  Game time is 4 p.m. and it can be seen on Network+.  

Team Notes

  • Since the inception of the Associated Press rankings, Kentucky has an all-time record of 38-23 vs. top-five matchups (both teams in top five), including 24-13 in regular-season matchups and 7-5 in top-five road matchups.

Player Notes  

  • Oscar Tshiebwe collected 20 points and 15 rebounds, his second 20-15 game of the season and ninth in his two seasons as a Wildcat. 
    • In addition to making 7 of 12 from the field, he was a perfect 6 of 6 at the foul line.
  • Jacob Toppin got hot with the mid-range jumper in the second half and tied his career high with 16 points.
  • Freshman Cason Wallace had 14 points, two assists and four steals.
    • Wallace entered the weekend as the only player in the nation with at least 20 assists and 12 steals.
  • Antonio Reeves had 10 points, his fourth double-figure game this season.   

 Coach

  • Calipari has a 4-1 record vs. Gonzaga.
  • Calipari has an 813-243 all-time on-court record and a 368-103 mark in his 14th season at UK.
  • is 67-45 against Associated Press-ranked competition under Calipari, including 13-13 vs. top-five teams.  Calipari is 7-5 at UK when both teams are ranked in the top five.

In the First Half

  • Kentucky started the combination of Sahvir Wheeler, Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe for the first time this season.
  • Lance Ware was ’s first substitute at the 16:29 mark.
  • Gonzaga led all the way, as the Bulldogs got the game’s first eight points before Tshiebwe got on the board with a layup at 17:33.
  • Ahead 10-6, Gonzaga’s 9-0 run put in its then-largest deficit of the season, 19-6.
  • Later in the half, GU’s 8-0 spurt gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the half at 39-21.
  • Gonzaga went to halftime ahead 41-25 as shot only 25 percent (8 of 32), including 0 of 11 on 3-pointers. Tshiebwe’s 14 points and seven rebounds led the Wildcats.

In the Second Half

  • Kentucky began the second half with Wheeler, Fredrick, Wallace, Toppin and Tshiebwe.
  • Gonzaga got the first basket, but a 14-4 Kentucky run got the Wildcats within 47-39, coaxing a Bulldog timeout at 14:26.
  • Back-to-back threes by Wallace and Reeves narrowed the gap to 49-45.
  • was within 61-55 when a 7-0 GU spurt gave the home team a 68-55 cushion and the Wildcats got no closer than nine points the rest of the way.
  • Gonzaga stretched the lead to 19 at 88-69 before a 3-pointer settled the final score.