UK postgame notes, numbers
Team Records and Series Notes
- With the win, fourth-ranked Kentucky improves to 3-0, and with the loss, Sam Houston State drops to 2-1.
- Kentucky’s 3-0 start is its best since the 2006-07 campaign, when the eventual 22-win Wildcats opened 3-0 before a setback against UCLA.
- This was UK’s first game ever against Sam Houston State .
- UK owns a 24-4 record in the last seven seasons against first-time opponents, including a 5-0 record last season.
- UK is now 2-0 against teams from the Southland Conference.
- The Wildcats now own a 28-5 all-time record against teams from the state of Texas.
- Kentucky returns to action Saturday, hosting Rider at Rupp Arena in the second game of the Cancun Challenge. The contest will be televised live on Fox Sport South, with tip off slated for 1 p.m. ET.
First-Half Notes
- Kentucky used the starting lineup of John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Darius Miller, Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins for the second consecutive game.
- UK won the tip and got a three in the corner from Bledsoe to take an early 3-0 lead on the first possession.
- Cousins’ three-point play on a lay-up and free throw early in the first half marked UK’s first three-point play this season.
- Kentucky opened the game with a 14-2 lead with 17:44 left in the first period.
- Freshman Jon Hood checked in with 15:11 left in the first half, marking his first career action.
- Sam Houston State cut the UK lead to 23-16, with 9:58 to play in the period, with three successful three-point attempts.
- UK went on a 13-3 run to take a 43-28 advantage with 3:38 left in the half.
- SMS guard Corey Allmond finished the first half with 24 points, sinking 8-of-11 three-point attempts. Allmond needed only a half to tie the Rupp Arena opponent record of eight three-pointers in a game, set just three days ago by Nick Winbush of Miami (Ohio).
- As a team, SHS hit 12-of-20 three-point attempts in the first period, only three short of the opponent single-game record by Miami.
- With Darius Miller’s three-pointer at the end of the period, UK held a 53-42 lead at halftime.
- Cousins led UK with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half, marking the first double-double for UK in the first half since Patterson had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first period against Auburn on Jan. 21, 2009.
Second-Half Notes
- Corey Allmond broke the Rupp Arena opponent record and tied the UK Rupp record with his ninth three-pointer at the 15:02 mark of the second half.
- Allmond’s ninth three was the 15 th for Sam Houston State, tying the opponent single-game record in Rupp Arena.
- Allmond broke the overall Rupp record with his 10 th three with 12:08 remaining in the game. The old mark was nine by Tony Delk vs. Texas Christian on Jan. 20, 1996.
- Allmond’s 10 th triple also was the 16 th for SHS, breaking the opponent team record in Rupp Arena.
- SHS made only three two-point shots in the first 29 minutes of the game.
- The Bearkats rallied to within eight points, 81-73, with 6:53 remaining. The Wildcats responded with an 8-0 run for an 89-73 advantage and were not seriously threatened again.
- UK hit the 100-point mark with a pair of John Wall foul shots with 1:44 to play.
Team Notes
- Kentucky is the NCAA’s all-time wins leader with 1,991 wins.
- UK dominated rebounding, 48-33, and points in the paint, 48-18.
- Sam Houston State finished the game with 18 of 38 three-point shots, breaking the Rupp Arena opponent record in both categories.
- An interesting contrast, SHS made 11 of 39 two-point shots (28.2 percent) while making 18 of 38 three-pointers (47.4 percent).
Individual Notes
- Patrick Patterson totaled 20 points and nine rebounds.
- Patterson started his team-high 13th consecutive game.
- Patterson has 22 20-point games in his career.
- After having no three-pointers in his career coming into this season, Patterson has one triple in each of the first three games
- Freshman DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 18 rebounds, most in both categories for his young career. His 27 points is the third-highest mark by a UK freshman. The freshman record is 31 by Jamal Mashburn set in 1991.
- Sophomore Darius Miller scored 15 points, just two short of his UK career high.
- Freshman John Wall had 21 points, most for his brief collegiate career.
- Freshman Eric Bledsoe tallied 19 points, including 5 of 7 three-point shots.
- Freshman center Daniel Orton blocked a career-high four shots.
- Corey Allmond of SHS finished with a game-high 37 points. He made 11 three-point shots, breaking the overall Rupp Arena record (UK and opponents). The old record was nine by Tony Delk of UK vs. Texas Christian on Jan. 20, 1996.
Cousins 3 point play was the first of the season? That is unbelievable.
We have got to learn how to defend the three and I mean fast. We are making guys look like All-Americans. I am tickled to death for the fire we saw tonight from Coach Cal. I hope the players will get that fire also.
I think they are going to see a lot more the next few days
WOW!!! Scoring 102 with NO BENCH POINTS?!!! If you only scored 62 yeah, but 102? When has that EVER happened before? It just doesn’t seem possible, especially with OUR bench.
I’m just glad we have offensive fire power. Seems like forever since we have seen this production. The defense better catch up soon…the big boys are coming and this “D” performance will not cut it, at least the 3pt. D
AGREED TIM, The one team that is drooling right now at the thought of getting 30-40 att. and half of those being clear looks, Is you know who up the road…I just think that our transition “D” is really,really bad right now..We are getting down and sagging in, we need to get down and extend our defense much,much earlier..Has a coach I always told my kids, If you get a good look in transition take it..No matter what..Transition 3’s are the clearest look you can get..In transition I don’t care if it is big on small or small on big..If you have not picked up a man by half court you are not playing any transition “D”…So far this young team has done a horrible job in that area..CAL will get it right he has been through all this before..So lets not Panic, lets just pick someone up….GO BIG BLUE!!! The one thing that will kill us from three this year, is a big that can shoot it well..our biggs are sprinting back on “D” but they are going to far to the basket..A big from out high will have a field day as of right now..But we can get better, we have to…..GO CATS GO!!!!