Post UK vs. Providence Notes

(If you watched the game then you know why I used his picture twice)

•  Kentucky improves to 7-1 and 1-1 in neutral site games. Providence falls to 7-2 on the year.
  
•  UK now leads the series 2-0. The only other matchup occurred on March 18, 1976 in Madison
  Square Garden.
  
• 
  Tonight’s game marks the first of five other matchups in the month of December for UK that  features a team with two losses or fewer and are either receiving votes or ranked in the top 25 in
  the Associated Press poll.
  
• 
   Kentucky will remain on the road for another neutral contest on Friday, Dec. 6 in Arlington, Texas.  UK’s men’s and women’s squads will play a doubleheader vs. Baylor in AT&T Stadium.
  
  
• First-Half Facts
  
    Kentucky started with the lineup of sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein and freshmen Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Julius Randle and James Young. That lineup is 3-1 on the year.

•  Alex Poythress was UK’s first sub off the bench. It is the third time this season he has checked into the game first.
  
    The Wildcats jumped out to an early 6-0 lead to start the game. It marked the most successive points to start a game this season for UK.
• 
  UK has now made a 3-pointer in 868 consecutive games when Poythress sunk a long ball from the corner at the 16:20 mark.
  
• 
   Kentucky led 39-35 at the break. UK is 5-0 when leading at halftime. Second-Half Story
  
  • After Providence pulled to within one at 39-38, Kentucky went on an 8-0 run spurred by the player of Willie Cauley-Stein who had six points, three rebounds and a pair of blocks in the spurt.
    
  •  UK shot a season-high .643 (27-of-42) from the field. That mark is good for third in the John Calipari era and the best since a .697 clip against LIU Brooklyn on Nov. 23, 2012. The Wildcats also connected on 6-of-8 from behind the arc for a season-high .750 percentage.
    
  •   
  • UK out-rebounded Providence by a 35-30 margin. Kentucky has out-rebounded every opponent it has faced this season. The Wildcats went 19-of-25 from the free throw line. It marked the first game this season the Blue and White have not hit at least 20 shots from the charity stripe. 
  • 
    
    Individual Notes
    

 Willie Cauley-Stein posted 15 points, eight rebounds and nine blocks.
o Nine blocks marks a new career high. It is the second most blocked shots in the Calipari
era for an individual player, only trailing Nerlens Noel’s 12 at Ole Miss on Jan. 29, 2013.
o Posted four or more blocks in three-straight games and in five total games this season.

o Notched his second traditional three-point play of the season.

Aaron Harrison scored 15 points on 7-9 shooting from the field.
o Has sunk at least one 3-pointer in seven games this season including in four-straight
contests.
o Scored 11 first-half points and has now hit double-digits after the first frame in two-straight games.
o Had a career-high four assists.

 Aaron Harrison scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.
o Has sunk at least one 3-pointer in seven games this season including in four-straight
contests.
o Scored 11 first-half points and has now hit double-digits after the first frame in two-straight games.
o Had a career-high four assists.

Dominique Hawkins scored five points.
o Five points is a new career-high for the freshman. o Connected for his second career 3-pointer.

Julius Randle posted 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists. o Four assists ties a season best.
o Eighth game scoring in double figures.

 James Young scored a team-high 18 points and hit a trio of 3-pointers.
o Has knocked down multiple 3-pointers in four games this season. o Sunk a career-high five free throws.