Recap
UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY vs. AFRICA SELECT
GLOBL JAM | TORONTO, ONTARIO | MATTAMY ATHLETIC CENTRE
JULY 15, 2023
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 104, Team Africa Select 92
- This was Kentucky’s third exhibition game of the GLOBL JAM FIBA event. UK will play once more during the tour.
- The Wildcats return to the court on Sunday vs. host Canada in the gold medal game. That game will tip at 8 p.m. and air live on CBS Sports Network.
- Kentucky is 149-12 all-time in exhibition games and has won 28 straight. UK is 46-1 in exhibition contests under head coach John Calipari.
First-Quarter Facts
- Kentucky’s used a third different starting combination in today’s game with D.J. Wagner, Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards, Adou Thiero and Jordan Burks starting.
- It was Burks’ first start of the event.
- Edwards started the scoring with a 3-pointer. He then had a transition dunk and free throw to push the lead to 10-2 with 7:01 remaining.
- Team Africa pulled to within two at the 5:52 mark, but Edwards responded with his second 3-pointer of the stanza to stretch the lead back to five.
- The Cats led by 11 (28-17) going into the break behind a 3-pointer from Reed Sheppard off of a gorgeous assist from Tre Mitchell.
Second-Quarter Story
- After Team Africa cut the score to a seven-point lead for the Cats, Antonio Reeves scored a 3-pointer to silence the run.
- A Dillingham jumper with 3:29 remaining lifted UK to a 15-point lead at 46-31, its largest of the contest.
- Reeves made consecutive 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to stretch the lead to 18 with 54 seconds to go.
- Reeves led all scorers with 18 first-half points and five 3-pointers.
- Mitchell had five boards, while Sheppard led the way with six assists.
- Kentucky had 15 assists on 22 made baskets and forced Team Africa into 11 first-half turnovers.
Third-Quarter Tidbits
- The Cats opened with Dillingham, Wagner, Edwards, Thiero and Mitchell on the floor.
- The lead swelled to 20 on UK’s first second-half possession off a feed from Mitchell to a cutting Wagner for a layup.
- A 6-0 spurt by Team Africa cut the lead to 14 and the Cats opted to take a timeout with 6:53 to play in the third frame.
- A 10-2 run by Team Africa shrunk the advantage to 10, but Mitchell connected on his first 3-pointer of the game to snap the run with 3:32 to go in the quarter.
- Kentucky pushed the lead back to 16 on a reverse layup from Sheppard with 11 seconds remaining, but Team Africa was able to nail a three at the buzzer and the score was 78-65 at the conclusion of the third frame.
Fourth-Quarter Findings
- Reeves’ sixth 3-pointer of the game was the fourth quarter’s first points.
- Team Africa refused to give up and cut the lead to six at 87-81 with 5:20 to play. Kentucky opted to take a timeout to attempt to halt the push.
- Kentucky responded with a 9-0 run capped by another Reeves 3-pointer to stretch the lead back to 15 with 2:47 remaining.
- The Cats hit the century mark on Reeves’ eighth 3-pointer of the night.
Team Notes
- Kentucky forced 13 Team Africa turnovers that led to 13 points.
- For the tournament, UK is generating 21 points per game off of turnovers.
- The Cats made 14 3-pointers in today’s contest, most for the tournament.
- UK is averaging 11 made threes for the week and shooting at a 30.7% clip.
- The Wildcats won the battle of the boards with 46 in today’s game.
- UK also edged Team Africa in points in the paint 42-40.
- Kentucky generated 26 assists on 39 made buckets.
- The Cats are averaging 25.7 assists per game in the tournament.
Player Notes
- Antonio Reeves drained eight 3-pointers and led all scorers with 27 points.
- He is averaging 24.7 points per game over the first three games of the tournament.
- Reeves is making nearly five 3-pointers per game and connecting at a 58% clip.
- Tre Mitchell had 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in an all-around game.
- UK was plus-24 with him on the floor.
- Reed Sheppard posted 18 points, a team-high eight assists and two blocked shots.
- For the week, Sheppard is averaging 10.7 points, 6.0 assists, 2.3 boards, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
- D.J. Wagner chipped in with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
- Justin Edwards had 15 points, five rebounds and three steals.
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