CATS v. Texas Tech – Postgame Notes

United Supermarkets Arena – Lubbock, Texas
January 25, 2020 
Attendance: 14,763
Final Score: No. 15/14 Kentucky 76, No. 18 Texas Tech 74

Compiled by Tony Neely – UK Athletics

Team Records and Series Notes 

• Kentucky is 15-4 overall and winner of seven of its last eight games, including 3-1 in true road games. 
• UK finished the regular season 10-3 against nonconference opponents, including 4-2 vs. Power 5 conference schools.
• Texas Tech is 12-7 and tonight’s game ended a 54-game home nonconference winning streak.
  • Texas Tech had not lost at home to a nonconference opponent since losing to LSU on December 18, 2013.

• UK leads the series 5-0, including 2-0 in Lubbock. This was the first meeting since December 1994 and only the second meeting between the two schools in Lubbock.
• UK is 4-3 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge and has won the last three in the event.
• Next up: Kentucky returns to Southeastern Conference action Wednesday at home vs. Vanderbilt. Game time is 6:30 p.m. and the game will be telecast on the SEC Network.

Player Notes   

• Playing a career-high 39 minutes, Nick Richards collected 25 points and 14 rebounds, his eighth double-double in 19 games. He had one double-double in 74 games prior to this season.
  • He shot the ball efficiently – 7 of 10 from the field, 11 of 14 free throws, including 5 of 5 in the overtime.
  • 11 of 14 free throws are career highs for both categories. 
  • He scored in double figures for the eighth straight game and is averaging 17.6 points and 9.8 rebounds over the last eight games.
  • UK is 11-0 this season when he has eight or more rebounds, 4-0 when he gets at least 20 points.
• Playing a career-high 42 minutes, Immanuel Quickley had 21 points and six rebounds, highlighted by 4 of 8 on 3-point shots.

o   He’s averaging 17.6 points over the last eight games, including 22 of 45 on 3-point shots.

• Playing a career-high-tying 43 minutes, Ashton Hagans had six points, three rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
  • He extended his five-or-more-assists streak to 16 straight games, the best streak since Tyler Ulis did it 24 straight games in 2015-16.

Coach John Calipari 

• Coaches and support staffs from both teams wore Mike Slive Foundation lapel pins, bringing awareness to the fight against prostate cancer and honoring the late Southeastern Conference commissioner.
• Calipari is now 320-75 at UK.   
• He has a 765-215 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 62-32 vs. Associated Press Top 25 competition under Calipari, including 3-1 this season.
  • UK is 54-28 under Calipari when both teams are ranked.
• This was Calipari’s first game against Texas Tech.

Team Notes 

• Despite the closeness of the game, UK never trailed in the second half or overtime.
• UK shot 43.6% from the field and is now 14-1 this season when outshooting the opponent.
• Three-point shooting was a key difference-maker. UK made 7 of 15 from long range (46.7%) while Tech made 3 of 19 (15.8%).
• Entering the game at 76.7% at the foul line, the Wildcats had another solid performance at 84% (21 of 25).
• UK won the rebounding 38-32.
  • UK is 13-1 this season when outrebounding the opponent.
• The Wildcats overcame a season-high 20 turnovers and Tech won points off turnovers 25-9.
• Kentucky led by 10 points in the second half. UK is now 275-7 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest.
• Kentucky is now 61-49 all-time in overtime games, including 2-0 this season.
  • On Dec. 28 this season, UK outlasted Louisville 78-70 in Rupp Arena.       
  • UK’s last OT win in a true road game was 70-64 in two OTs at Texas A&M, Feb. 2, 2013.

In the First Half 

• The starting lineup consisted of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards for the fifth time this season. The Wildcats are 4-1 with the lineup.
  • Keion Brooks Jr. was UK’s first sub at the 15:47 mark.

• Quickley began the scoring with a 3-pointer on the game’s first possession.
• The teams went back-and-forth all half, with eight lead changes and neither squad leading by more than five points.
• UK scored five points in the final five seconds and went to halftime ahead 36-34.
  • Trailing 34-31, Maxey hit a jumper with five seconds left, and after a Texas Tech long-pass turnover, Quickley hit a heave from the midcourt line at the buzzer.
  • Despite the closeness of the game, Kentucky never trailed again.
  • UK is 14-1 this season when leading at halftime.

 In the Second Half 

• Kentucky began the second half with the opening lineup.
• After Tech tied it with a layup on the first possession, Kentucky went on a 12-2 run, giving the Wildcats’ the first double-digit lead for either team, 48-38.
• A baseline jumper by Richards with 6:15 remaining put UK ahead 61-53, but the Red Raiders rallied with a 10-2 run to tie it at 63 with 2:40 left.
• From that point, each team made a foul shot and the game went to overtime tied at 64.  UK went the final 6:14 of regulation without a basket.

In the Overtime  

• Richards made two foul shots and then a traditional three-point play with 3:51 left to give UK a 69-64 lead. His basket ended a drought of 7:22 without a Wildcat basket.
• A 3-pointer by Nate Sestina with 3:19 left gave UK a 72-66 lead.  It was the first time in more than 10 minutes that anyone other than Richards had scored for UK. It also proved to be UK’s final basket of the game.
• Tech rallied to tie at 72, then Quickley made two foul shots with 47.9 seconds to play.
• Uche Dibiamaka of Tech got a basket to tie with 30 seconds left and was fouled, missed the free throw, but Tech retrieved the miss.
• On the ensuing possession, Montgomery forced a missed shot and Richards was fouled on the rebound with 10 seconds left. Richards made both free throws to make it 76-74.
• On the next possession, Hagans slapped the ball away from a Red Raider driver. The ball went out of bounds and was awarded to UK with 0:00.4 on the clock.