Some Notes From The Loss At Auburn; The Worst Loss So Far I Might Add

Kentucky Men’s Basketball Postgame Notes
14/13 Kentucky at Auburn 

Auburn Arena, Auburn, Ala.

Jan. 16, 2016
Attendance: 9,121

Final Score: Auburn 75, Kentucky 70

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is now 13-4 on the season, 3-2 in Southeastern Conference action. Auburn is 8-8 overall, 2-3 in league play. 
• Kentucky leads the all-time series 91-18 but saw an 18-game winning streak against the Tigers end today.  
• Next for the Wildcats: UK visits the Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. EST.

In the First Half

• Kentucky started with the lineup of Tyler Ulis, Isaiah Briscoe, Jamal Murray, Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee for the fifth game in a row.
• Murray made a 3-pointer on the game’s opening possession, extending UK’s streak of 956 consecutive games making a three. It was the first time all season UK opened with a 3-pointer on its opening possession. 
• An evenly played first half saw neither team lead by more than five points. 
• Tied at 30, Kentucky got the last two baskets of the half on a dunk by Skal Labissiere and a 3-pointer by Derek Willis, giving the Wildcats a 35-30 advantage at intermission. Willis had seven points and a career-high eight rebounds in the first half. 

In the Second Half

• Having scored the last five points of the first half, UK extended its run with three foul shots by Ulis and a jumper by Murray to give UK a 40-30 lead. At the 15:41 mark, UK extended its largest edge to 12 points at 47-35.
• At that point, Auburn stormed back with a 21-4 run, giving the Tigers a 56-51 lead.
• UK responded with a 6-0 surge and went back ahead 57-56.
• With UK ahead 67-65, Auburn scored nine straight points to go ahead 74-67 and the Tigers held on for the victory.

Team Notes

• Kentucky extended its streak of 956 consecutive games with at least one 3-point basket.
• UK won rebounding, 48-38, and points in the paint, 32-16.
• UK has had a player score at least 20 points in all five SEC games this season. The last time UK had a player score at least 20 in the first five SEC games was 2009.
• Coach John Calipari has a 648-182 (.781) all-time record, including a 203-42 (.829) mark at Kentucky.  

Player Notes  

• Freshman Jamal Murray had 20 points, his 15^th consecutive double-figure game.  
• This was his fourth-consecutive 20-point game, sixth overall. 
• He is the first player and first freshman with four-consecutive 20-point efforts since Alex Poythress achieved the feat during from Nov. 13-Nov. 23, 2012.
• He has made at least one 3-point shot in every game this season, the first player in program history to make a triple in each of his first 16 collegiate games.
• He totaled three steals in today’s game, the most since swiping four against No. 5/4 Duke on Nov. 17.
• Sophomore Tyler Ulis had 17 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and eight assists. 
• It is the second double-double of his career.
• He is the first player to have a double-double in points and rebounds and points and assists in the same season since John Wall turned the trick during the 2009-10 season.
• He was two assists shy of the second-ever triple-double in school history.
• Junior Derek Willis had 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, his first career double-double.
• He is the fifth different Wildcat to produce a double-double this season. 
• Willis hauled in eight rebounds in the opening half, bettering his career best in rebounds which previously was six which he did against UCLA earlier this season. 
• He extended his free-throw streak to 20 consecutive makes.