Kentucky vs. Albany Post Game Notes

FINAL SCORE: No. 2/1 Kentucky 78, Albany 65

Team Records and Series Notes

·         With the win in the season lidlifter, Kentucky is 1-0 and Albany is 0-1.

·         The meeting between the two teams was the first in the series.

·         Kentucky will return to action on Saturday, hosting NJIT at 8 p.m. ET at Rupp Arena. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and will be broadcast live on the UK Sports Radio Network.

Team Notes

·         With 2,179 all-time wins, Kentucky is the nation’s leader.

·         Kentucky is 94-19 all-time in season openers, including a 7-0 record under John Calipari.

·         Calipari has a 636-178 all-time record, including a 191-38 mark 

·         UK has a 530-64 all-time record at historic Rupp Arena.

·         UK has won 186 of its last 213 home games. 

·         UK is 102-4 at Rupp Arena under Calipari. 

·         The Wildcats have made a 3-pointer in 940 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in the nation.

·         Kentucky opened with the lineup of Skal Labissiere, Marcus Lee, Charles Matthews, Jamal Murray and Tyler Ulis.

·         With Labissiere (native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti) and Murray (Kitchener, Ontario) in the starting lineup, it marks the first time UK started two players born outside the United States since Sheray Thomas and Lukasz Orbzut started vs. Georgia in 2006-07. 

·         UK won the battle in rebounds (34-28), bench points (22-19) and assists (16-4).

·         The Wildcats held Albany to 1-of-14 from 3-point territory.

Player Notes  

·         Junior Derek Willis set new career highs in points (14), field goals (four), 3-pointers made (two), field-goal attempts (seven) and minutes played (28).

·         Willis tied his career high with a 4-for-4 mark from the charity stripe.

·         Willis tied his career high with five rebounds.

·         Junior Marcus Lee made his fifth career start and his first since 2013-14.

·         Lee tied his career high with eight rebounds and three assists.

·         Leed added 12 points and three blocks in 27 minutes.

·         Sophomore Tyler Ulis made his first career start.

·         Ulis played a career-high 37 minutes.

·         Ulis had 12 points, four rebounds and two assists.

·         Senior Alex Poythress played in his team-leading 82nd career game.

·         Poythress was the first player off the bench.

·         Freshman Jamal Murray led the team with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting.

·         Murray had eight assists, three steals and three rebounds.

·         Freshman Skal Labissiere had nine points, five rebounds and a team-leading four blocks in 30 minutes. 

·         Freshman Charles Matthews started in his collegiate debut.

·         Junior Mychal Mulder made his Kentucky debut.

·         Freshman Isaac Humphries made his NCAA debut.