Kentucky improves to 23-9 overall, while LSU falls to 19-13.
Kentucky leads the series 95-35 including 14-3 on neutral ground.
The Wildcats are 120-24 all-time in the SEC Tournament and 23-7 when it’s held in Atlanta.
Kentucky is 40-11 all-time in the SEC Quarterfinal contest including owning a 5-1 mark when playing LSU in that round.
UK advances to the semifinal rounds of the SEC Tournament and will play the winner of the Georgia-Ole Miss game at approximately 3:15 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Team Facts
Kentucky’s starting lineup consisted of five freshmen in Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson, Julius Randle and James Young. That lineup improves to 7-3 on the season.
Alex Poythress, Willie Cauley-Stein and Jarrod Polsonwere the first subs off the bench for UK. It marked theteam-leading 18th time Poythress was the first called upon,the 13th time for Cauley-Stein and the third time for Polson.
Young hit a 3-pointer at the 18:56 mark for Kentucky’s opening bucket to extend UK’s 3-point streak to 892 consecutive games. It is the third largest streak in the country.
John Calipari coached teams are 123-37 in the months of March and April.
UK out-rebounded LSU by 16. The Cats are 20-7 when out-rebounding their opponent this season.
First Half Facts
LSU jumped out to a 6-0 lead on consecutive made 3-pointers from Shavon Coleman. UK called a timeout with 18:59 remaining in the first half.
A 6-0 run capped off by the third Young 3-pointer of the half brought Kentucky back to within two at 22-20 with 9:26 remaining in the opening stanza.
The Wildcats continued the string of points, stretching the run to 10-0 grabbing their first lead on an Andrew Harrison 15-footer with 7:29 remaining.
Kentucky’s defensive pressure amped up and forced the Tigers into five turnovers and just one made field goal while extending the run to a 23-3 stretch in favor of the Cats over an 8:16 stretch of the clock. The run was highlighted by two Cauley-Stein blocks and a steal by Andrew Harrison capped by a Young flush.
Kentucky took a 10-point lead into halftime leading 42-32. Kentucky is now 19-2 on the year when leading at the break.
Second Half Facts
LSU made it a two-possession game with 14:07 remaining following a steal and made 3-pointer to cut the lead to six at 51-45.
After the Tigers trimmed the game to just a two-point contest, Poythress nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to lift UK back to a two possession game with less than 12 minutes to play. It would be the closest LSU would get the rest of the way.
A 6-0 spurt finished by consecutive buckets from Aaron Harrison gave UK a 67-55 lead with just under six to play.
Another 7-0 run by the Wildcats with a dunk from Cauley-Stein and 3-pointer from Aaron Harrison in just one minute of game clock ignited the Wildcats to a 76-59 lead with 3:58 remaining.
Individual Notes
Willie Cauley-Stein scored eight points and had six blocked shots.
Now has 154 career blocked shots moving past Patrick Patterson for eighth place on UK’s all-time shot blocker list.
Totaled 94 blocks for the season which ranks third for a single-year in program history.
Is the sixth game of the season with six or more rejections and the first since posting six in a home victory over Ole Miss on Feb. 4.
Aaron Harrison posted 14 points and made a trio of 3-pointers.
It’s the 23rd double-figure scoring game of his career.
Marked the fifth game this season with at least three 3-pointers.
Moved into 14th place on UK’s freshman single-season scoring list with 432 points on the year.
Andrew Harrison tallied 11 points and dished out a career-high eight assists.
Has four or more assists in six of UK’s last eight contests including two straight.
Logged 13 assists in UK’s last two contests with today’s eight marking a career-best.
Moved into a tie with Rajon Rondo with 118 assists of the season which is fifth best in a single-season for any UK freshman.
Dakari Johnson narrowly missed on his first career double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.
Set a career-high with nine rebounds in the opening half.
Also registered three blocks marking the third time this season he has swatted three or more shot attempts.
Julius Randle finished with 17 points and a career-high matching 16 rebounds.
Became the first player since DeMarcus Cousins in 2009-10 to have 10 or more rebounds in nine-consecutive games.
Notched his fifth-straight double-double and the 19thof his career. He’s one shy of trying the most in a single-year by any UK freshman.
The 16 rebounds matches a career high which he also set against UNC Asheville in the opening game of the season.
Moved past Terrence Jones for third place on the single-season freshman rebounding list with 340 boards on the year. That mark also ranks 15th for any player in a single-year in program history.
James Young had a team-high 21 points and added six rebounds and four assists.
Poured in 17 points in the opening half which tied for his season-high in points in any stanza for the season. He also had 17 in the opening half against Boise State on Dec. 10, 2013.
Had his team-leading eighth 20-point scoring game of the season.
Is just the second player in program history (Brandon Knight) with 70 or more 3-pointers in a freshman season.
With four assists he moved to 23rd on the freshman assists’ record list.
Advanced to ninth place in the freshman single season scoring list with 467 points on the year.
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