UK vs. South Carolina Post Game Notes

Kentucky Basketball Postgame Notes
South Carolina 72, #17/15 Kentucky 67
March 1, 2014
Colonial Life Arena – Columbia, S.C.

Team Records, Notes
Kentucky falls to 21-8 overall and 11-5 in Southeastern Conference action. South Carolina improves to 11-18 and 4-12 in league play.
Kentucky still leads the overall series 47-11 and 18-7 in Columbia. 
The Wildcats return to action with the season’s home finale on Tuesday, March 4 at 9 p.m. ET. Kentucky welcomes Alabama to Rupp on Senior Night.
Today’s attendance was 15,303.

Team Facts

Kentucky’s starting lineup was comprised of all freshmen for the ninth-straight outing. Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson, Julius Randle and James Young formed the lineup. That squad is now 6-3 on the year as the opening five.
Jarrod Polson was the first sub off the bench for UK. It’s the second time this season he’s been called upon first.
Young hit a 3-pointer at the 15:10 mark in the opening half to extend UK’s 3-streak to 889 consecutive games. It is the third largest streak in the country.
South Carolina held a 31-28 lead at halftime. UK is 3-6 and 1-4 when trailing at the break.
Kentucky scored 33 points on free throws which is the second most in a single game in the John Calipari era.

First Half Facts

Kentucky scored the game’s first three points, but South Carolina scored the next five to take a 5-3 advantage into the opening media break. UK missed four of its first five attempts from the field.
UK shot 17-of-23 from the free throw line as the Gamecocks were whistled for 14 first half fouls. 
The Blue and White hauled in 30 rebounds in the opening half and held a rebounding margin of +15 in the opening stanza. 
South Carolina shot 35.7 percent from the field including 50.0 percent from behind the arc in the opening half compared to just 17.2 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from 3-point range for the Cats.

Second Half Facts

South Carolina opened the half on a 6-0 run to spark a 13-point advantage at 43-30 entering the first media timeout of the second stanza. 
John Calipari was ejected from the game at the 10:23 minute mark and UK trailing 53-39. It is the second time in his career at UK he has been ejected from the contest.
Kentucky went on a 14-2 run to pull to within four at 57-53 with 4:09 remaining before the Gamecocks snapped the stretch with the front end of a double-bonus keeping the lead at two possessions.
An Andrew Harrison 3-pointer at the top of the key brought UK to within three at 59-56 at the 3:13 mark.
On the ensuing possession for South Carolina two free throws made it a two-possession game yet again.
Kentucky would get within one point at 68-67 on a Randle traditional three-point play with 21 seconds remaining but South Carolina converted four-straight free throws for the win.

Individual Notes

Aaron Harrison led the team in scoring with 21 points.
Hit 11-of-12 shots from the free throw line. The makes was a career-best total.
Knocked down two 3-pointers to move into ninth place all-time in the single-season freshman record books.
Also added six rebounds.
Moved to 17^th in the single-season freshman scoring record book with 401 points on the year.
Julius Randle picked up his 15^th double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Has logged 10 or more rebounds in five-straight contests.
Moved into fourth place in freshman record books with 303 rebounds on the year moving past Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. 
Advanced to 11^th in the freshman scoring record book moving past Sam Bowie with 449 points on the year.
James Young posted 19 points.
Made career-high eight free throws.
With 19 points he moved into 13^th place in the single-season freshman scoring record books. 
Knocked down a 3-pointer for the seventh-straight contest with at least one triple.