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Kentucky dished out 28 assists against the Dominican Republic plus Boxscore and Other Game Notes

 

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UK MEN'S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

KENTUCKY vs. NATIONAL SELECT TEAM

BIG BLUE BAHAMAS | BAHA MAR BALLROOM

AUG. 10, 2022
ATTENDANCE: 1,200

 FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 108, Dominican Republic National Select Team 56

  • This was Kentucky's first exhibition game of the Big Blue Bahamas foreign exhibition tour. UK will play three additional games during the tour.
  • The Wildcats return to the Baha Mar Grand Ballroom court on Friday vs. Tech de Monterrey (Mexico). That game will tip at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network.
  • UK improved to 10-1 in the Bahamas foreign tours. The Wildcats went 5-1 in their first foreign tour in the Bahamas in 2014 and 4-0 in their second stint in 2018. 9-1
  • Kentucky is 141-12 all-time in exhibition games and has won 20 straight. UK is 38-1 in exhibition contests under head coach John Calipari.

 First-Half Facts

  • Kentucky's starting lineup featured , Antonio Reeves, , and Oscar Tshiebwe.
  • Toppin scored the first points of the trip with a pair of free throws after snaring an offensive rebound on the Cats' first offensive possession.
  • , and Lance Ware were UK's first subs. They entered at the 16:07 mark.
  • UK jumped out to a 9-5 lead at the first media timeout. Collins drained an outside jumper, Reeves hit a 3-pointer and Tshiebwe converted a hook-shot off a Wheeler entry pass in the spurt.
  • Kentucky's defense flustered the Dominicans into four early turnovers before the first media timeout.
  • Collins electrified the crowd with a thunderous slam and a traditional 3-point play to move the score to 23-13 with 8:43 to play.
  • and made their debut at the 5:52 mark. Thiero promptly swiped a steal and made a fastbreak dunk.
  • A 3-pointer by Livingston lifted the Cats to a 20-point edge, but the Dominicans made a jumper just before halftime for the break's margin of 43-25.
  • UK's defense registered seven blocked shots and eight steals, while forcing the Dominicans into 11 first-half turnovers.
  • Nine of Kentucky's 10 players scored in the half, paced by nine from Reeves who made a trio of 3s.
  • Livingston led the way on the boards with six, but the Dominicans owned a 20-18 edge in the category.

 Second-Half Story

  • Wallace, Fredrick, Livingston, Collins and Ware opened the second half.
  • The Cats began the half on a 9-0 run and forced the Dominicans into a timeout. Fredrick found Livingston for a corner 3, followed by dunks from Ware, Collins and Wallace.
  • Wallace was the first Cat to reach double-figure scoring with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 16:47 to play.
  • A steal and 360-dunk by Toppin was followed by a swipe and lay in from Wheeler to push the lead to 33 at 75-42 with 10:07 to go.
  • A traditional 3-point play from Tshiebwe off a nice feed from Collins lifted Kentucky to a 95-52 lead with 4:18 remaining.
  • made his first appearance with 4:18 to go.
  • A dunk from Tshiebwe put the Cats over the century mark with 2:09 to play.
  • entered the game at the 3:43 mark, while Grant Darybshire and Walker Horn checked in at the 2:04 mark.
  • Tshiebwe led all scorers with 13 in the second half. Collins had 10 and Wallace chipped in with nine.
  • Following a 3-pointer from Canada, UK had its biggest lead at 52 points with 29 seconds to play.
  • Kentucky shot 26-41 (63.4%) in the second half and registered three blocks and five steals.

Team Notes

  • Kentucky used its size to good advantage, outrebounding the Dominicans 43-35 and winning points in the paint, 56-20.
  • Six Wildcats scored in double figures.
  • Kentucky scored 23 points off turnovers and had 30 fastbreak points.
  • UK had 10 blocks, compared with three for the Dominican National Team.
  • UK dished out 28 assists and had just five turnovers. 
    • Six players registered three or more assists.
  • The Wildcats shot well from all parts of the floor.
    • UK was 42-74 (56.5) from the floor.
    • Kentucky connected on 11-26 (42.3%) from long range.
    • The Cats shot 13-14 (92.9%) at the free-throw line.

Player Notes  

  • Oscar Tshiebwe led all scorers with 17 points, including 13 in the second half. He was 8 of 11 from the floor.
    • He also contributed six rebounds and a steal.
  • Daimion Collins had an all-around game with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal.
    • Had it been a regular-season game, Collins' point total and assists would have been career highs.
  • Cason Wallace contributed 15 points and a team-high 26 minutes of action.
    • Wallace also had five rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
  • Antonio Reeves sunk four 3-pointers and tallied 12 points.
    • It would have marked the 22nd time in his career he made at least three 3-pointers.
  • Chris Livingston was the sixth Wildcat to reach double-digit scoring. He contributed in a variety of ways with three 3-pointers, a team-high eight rebounds and four assists.
  • Jacob Toppin chipped in with eight points and a team-high three steals.
  • Adou Thiero was a menace defensively with three blocks and two steals. He also tallied seven points and three assists on the offensive end.
  • Brennan Canada sank a pair of late 3-pointers. Had it been a regular-season game, it would have been his first made 3-pointer and a career high in points.

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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