Final Score: Tennessee 81, No. 6 Kentucky 73
Team Records and Series Notes • Kentucky is 24-6 overall, ending an eight-game winning streak. UK, which clinched its 49th Southeastern Conference regular-season championship on Saturday with a win over Auburn, is 14-3 in the SEC.• Tennessee is 17-13, 9-8 in the SEC. • UK leads the series 156-74 with the teams splitting the season series. On Feb. 8, UK won 77-64 in Knoxville. o UK leads 92-18 in games played in Lexington.• Next up: Kentucky closes the regular season Saturday at Florida at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS.
Player Notes • Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting.o It is his sixth 20-point game of the season and 22ndgame in double figures.• Immanuel Quickley had 15 points and tied his career high for steals with three. o He has been torrid in the second half over the last nine games, averaging 14.3 points in the second half aloneduring this nine-game stretch. o It is his 19th consecutive game in double figures, the most since Malik Monk had a 30-game streak during the 2016-17 season. o Entering the game leading the SEC in free-throw percentage at 92.2 percent, he hit 3 of 3 tonight. He has made 20 in a row.• Nick Richards recorded 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. It is his 23rd game in double figures this season.• Ashton Hagans posted 11 points, his 20th double-figuregame of the season, and four assists.• Nate Sestina was honored before the game for Senior Night. He had two points and a rebound.• Johnny Juzang scored six points, providing a first-half spark with a pair of 3-pointers. o Juzang had a season-high 13 points in the game in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Coach John Calipari • Calipari is now 329-77 at UK.• He has a 774-217 all-time on-court record. • UK is 266-44 vs. Associated Press unranked foes under Calipari.• Kentucky is 150-41 under Calipari in SEC regular-season games.• Calipari fell to 17-12 all-time vs. Tennessee.
Team Notes • Tennessee shot 52.8 % from the field, best by a UK SEC opponent this season and the first opponent to shoot 50% or better vs. UK since Ohio State and Utah did it in back-to-back games in the December trip to Las Vegas.o The Wildcats are 0-3 this season when the opponent makes 50% or better from the field.o UK entered the game leading the SEC in field goal defense at 38.6%.• Entering the game leading the SEC at 79.5% at the foul line, Kentucky made 17 of 20 free throws (85%).o UK has made at least 75% at the line in 13 straight games.• In 24 of 30 games, the margin has been seven or fewer points in the last seven minutes.o This was the 16th game this season within one possession in the final six minutes. • Kentucky led by as many as 17 points during the game. UK is 281-8 (.972) under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest. o It’s the first time the Wildcats have lost after by leading by as many as 17 points since also leading Tennessee and losing on Feb. 2, 2016, when Kentucky had a 21-point lead.o With an 11-point halftime lead, it’s the biggest halftime advantage UK has failed to capitalize on with a win in Rupp Arena since losing an 11-point halftime lead vs. Ole Miss on Feb. 14, 1998. The Wildcats would note lose again that season, winning the 1998 national championship. • Tonight ended a 15-game home winning streak. UK finished the season 16-2 at Rupp Arena.• This was Kentucky’s first loss on Senior Night since March 4, 2009 vs. Georgia.
In the First Half • The starting lineup consisted of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, Nate Sestina and Nick Richards for the first time this season. • EJ Montgomery and Johnny Juzang were UK’s first substitutes at the 16:23 mark. • Sestina made his seventh start of the season and first since the Lamar game on Nov. 24.• Maxey scored on a drive and a floater-and-one to give UK a 5-0 lead.• A 7-0 Tennessee run gave the visitors their first lead at 9-7. • Kentucky came back with a 17-2 run for a 24-11 lead, the Wildcats’ largest advantage of the half.• Tennessee responded with an 8-0 splash. • A Sestina follow-dunk sent UK to halftime with a 42-31 lead.o Kentucky hit 55.2% from the field in the first half, including 4 of 5 on 3-point shots. o Key stat: Tennessee had eight first-half turnovers and the Wildcats turned them into 20 points – 2.5 points per turnover. o UK is 19-3 this season when leading at intermission.
In the Second Half • Kentucky opened the second half with Hagans, Quickley, Maxey, Montgomery and Richards. • UK got the first six points of the half, opening its largest lead at 48-31. • With UK up 51-34, Tennessee got nine quick points to pull within 51-43 at the 13:58 mark. • Trailing 60-53, a 10-0 run put the Volunteers ahead 63-60with 6:12 to go.• UK tied at 63, but an Yves Pons 3-pointer at 5:35 putTennessee back in the lead and the Volunteers led the rest of the way.