Oscar Tshiebwe makes history against Georgia plus Boxscore and Other Game Notes

 

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KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY

JAN. 17, 2023
ATTENDANCE: 19,171

Final Score: Kentucky 85, Georgia 71

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is now 12-6 on the season, 3-3 in the Southeastern Conference.
• Georgia is 13-5, 3-2 in league play. 
• Kentucky holds a 131-27 advantage in the all-time series and has won two in a row.
• UK leads 64-5 in games played in Lexington and has won the last 11 in Rupp Arena.
• Next for UK: on Saturday, the Wildcats host Texas A&M in a 2 p.m. game that will be televised on ESPN.

Team Notes

• Kentucky’s 85 points are the most against an SEC opponent in the last 12 games, since the 90-81 win over Alabama on Feb. 19 of last season.
  • UK tallied 51 points in the second half, most in a half this season vs. an SEC foe. 
• Kentucky won the rebounding 44-31. UK is 8-0 this season when leading the rebounding by double digits. 
• Kentucky made 23 of 30 foul shots, season highs in both categories. 
• Kentucky’s final margin of 14 points was the largest lead of the game. UK is 320-13 (96.1%) under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any time during the game.
• Kentucky trailed by as many as 11 points on two occasions late in the first half. It is the largest UK comeback win since rallying from an 11-point deficit vs. LSU on Feb. 23, 2022, with UK winning 71-66. 
• Kentucky got double-doubles from Oscar Tshiebwe and Jacob Toppin for the second time this season, also vs. North Florida on November 23. 

Player Notes  

• Oscar Tshiebwe had a career-high 37 points and yanked a season-best 24 rebounds, the first 30-20 game of his career.
  • The last Wildcat with a 35-point, 20-rebound game was Mike Phillips, who had 35-20 vs. LSU on Feb. 2, 1976.
  • This is the fifth 35-20 game in UK history, also Phillips (listed above), Dan Issel (36-29 vs. LSU on Feb. 22, 1969), Cotton Nash (34-20 vs. Tulane on Jan. 11, 1964) and Bill Spivey (40-34 vs. Xavier on Feb. 13, 1951). 
  • Per ESPN, Tshiebwe’s 24 rebounds are the most for a Division I player with a 35-point game in the last 25 seasons.
  • It is the fourth 30-point game of his career. 
  • The 37-point game tied Malik Monk vs. Georgia (1/31/17) for most points in an SEC game and the third-most point in any contest in the Calipari era.
  • Tshiebwe’s points-rebounds-assists total of 62 (37-24-1) was the most of any player in the Calipari era, topping his own previous total of 50 (30-18-2) at Arkansas on Feb. 26, 2022.
  • Drawing 12 fouls during the game, he had career highs by making 13 of 18 free throws. 
  • It is his sixth 20-rebound game of his career. All UK players combined have totaled five 20-rebound games since the 1973-74 season. 
  • He entered the game leading the nation in offensive rebounding with 5.6 per game and got 11 ORBs tonight. 
  • He could have had a double-double with either offensive (11) or defensive rebounds (13). It’s the second time he’s accomplished that feat with a 14-point, 10-ORB, 10-DRB performance vs. Robert Morris on Nov. 12, 2021.
  • It is his SEC-best 11th double-double of the season.
  • Tshiebwe has 39 double-doubles in 50 career games for UK.
  • He also had a season-high-tying three steals. 
• Jacob Toppin had 11 points and a career-high-tying 11 rebounds, his third double-double of the season.
  • He also had a game-high four assists, second time this season and fifth career he has done so.
• Cason Wallace tossed in 17 points, his 10^th double-figure scoring game of the season.
  • He made 7 of 11 from the field, including 2 of 4 on 3-pointers.
• Antonio Reeves came off the bench to tally 11 points, his 13^th double-figure game of the season.

 Coach John Calipari

• Calipari is 21-3 vs. Georgia, all coming at UK.
• Calipari has an 822-247 all-time on-court record and is 377-107 in 14 seasons at UK.
• UK is 309-60 (83.7%) against unranked competition under Calipari. 

 Rupp Arena

• Kentucky is 643-78 (89.2%) in the 47-year history of Rupp Arena, including 348-47 (88.1%) vs. SEC foes. 
• Kentucky is 216-18 (92.3%) in Rupp Arena under Calipari.

In the First Half

• Kentucky opened with a starting lineup of CJ Fredrick, Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe for the second game in a row.
• Antonio Reeves was the first substitute at the 16:55 mark.
• Georgia opened an early 7-2 lead but the Wildcats got their only lead of the half (14-13) at 11:02 on a steal by Wheeler, followed by a fast break dish to Toppin for a dunk. 
• The Bulldogs regained the lead the remainder of the half and took a 42-34 advantage into intermission.   
• Tshiebwe led the Wildcat effort with 14 points and nine rebounds in the first half. 

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with Fredrick, Wallace, Livingston, Toppin and Tshiebwe.
• Tshiebwe scored five quick points as UK pulled within 42-39.
• Down 45-41, Tshiebwe scored and was fouled.  He missed the free throw but tracked down the rebound and found Fredrick for a 3-pointer that gave UK a 46-45 lead, coaxing a Georgia timeout at 17:11.
• UK eventually stretched the lead to 53-49.
• Georgia rallied to tie at 55. 
• Tied at 57, a Reeves basket put UK ahead for good and the Wildcats gradually pulled away to win 85-71.