Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: UK vs. UCLA Bruins Postgame Notes

Postgame notes from this afternoon’s contest between the Kentucky Wildcats and the UCLA Bruins.

Kentucky Basketball Postgame Notes

Kentucky 83, UCLA 42
Dec. 20, 2014
United Center – Chicago

Team Records, Notes

Kentucky improves to 12-0 overall to start the season, while UCLA falls to 8-4.
UK now leads the series 7-4.
By beating UCLA by double digits, these Wildcats are now the first UK team in school history to begin the season with 12 straight wins by double digits.
Kentucky is 190-27 all-time when ranked No. 1 and has won 30 of the last 32 games as the Associated Press top-ranked team.
- Coach John Calipari has led three teams to a No. 1 ranking (Massachusetts, Memphis, Kentucky) and has a 74-9 record as the top-ranked coach, including 33-4 at UK.
UK is 2-0 away from Rupp Arena this season.
Kentucky will break for Christmas before returning to the court on Dec. 27 vs. Louisville. The game is set to air live on ESPN2 at 2 p.m.

Team Facts

Kentucky made 12 3-pointers, the team’s best output from the perimeter this season. UK’s previous single-game high this year was eight made 3s against UT Arlington and Boston
- UK tied its season-high with 26 attempts from 3.
The Wildcats finished with a season-best output in blocked shots with 13.
- It was the sixth time in 12 games UK has blocked 10 or more shots in a game.

Kentucky’s starting lineup consisted of Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, Trey Lyles, Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony for the second straight game.
Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker, Marcus Lee and Dakari Johnson were the first to hear their names called off the bench.

Aaron Harrison hit a 3-pointer at the 19:44 mark of the first half to extend UK’s 3-point streak to 912 consecutive games. Kentucky entered the game with the second-longest streak in the country, behind only UNLV.
UK held UCLA to 25-percent shooting, marking the seventh opponent this season the Cats have limited to less than 30 percent from the floor.
The Cats have held 10 of their 12 opponents to 55 points or fewer and 10 of 12 to their lowest point total of the season.
Of Kentucky’s 32 made field goals, 25 were assisted, which was a season-best output.

First-Half Facts

Aaron Harrison started the game with a 3 at the 19:44 mark and the Cats never looked back. UK scored the first 24 points of the game and held UCLA without a point until the 12:17 mark. Aaron Harrison and Devin Booker both had eight points and two 3-pointers during the run.
Kentucky surrendered just seven points in the first half, the fewest points the Wildcats have given up in a half since Dec. 28, 1943, when UK held Carnegie Tech to seven points in both halves of a 61-14 win.
The seven points also marked the ninth time in 24 halves this season that UK has held the opponent to less than 20 points.
The Cats held UCLA to 3 for 37 from the floor (8.1 percent) and just .200 points per possession.
Aaron Harrison scored 11 points in the first half, including three 3-pointers. Devin Booker added 10 points, Andrew Harrison dished out five assists and Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed eight boards.
Kentucky hit six 3-pointers in the first half, matching a season best in one half.
UK led 41-7 at the break. The Wildcats improved to 9-0 when leading at halftime this season.

Second-Half Facts

Kentucky outscored UCLA 42-35 in the second half.
Devin Booker led UK with nine second-half points.
Kentucky shot 55.2 percent from the field in the second half and 50 percent from 3.

Individual Notes

Devin Booker led UK with a career-high tying 19 points. He also made a career-best five 3s on six attempts.
- Booker has led UK in scoring four times this season, which is the most on the team. He has led UK in scoring in each of the past two games, as he tied Willie Cauley-Stein with 15 points against North Carolina last Saturday.
Andrew Harrison dished eight assists, which tied Tyler Ulis for the most by a UK player in a single game this season. Ulis had eight assists vs. North Carolina last Saturday.
- Harrison tied his season-high with two made 3s.
Aaron Harrison tallied 15 points, his sixth double-figure game of the season, and made a season-best-tying three 3-point shots.
- Harrison led UK with 3 steals
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a game-high 10 rebounds. It was his third game this season with 10 or more boards, just one off his career high of 11 recorded against UT Arlington.
Playing in his hometown of Chicago, Tyler Ulis has a career-high seven rebounds and added six assists.
Dakari Johnson and Willie Cauley-Stein tied for the game high in blocks with four. Both players’ outputs were season highs.