Basketball ***** Postgame Notes: Kentucky vs. Troy, NCAA 1st Round *****

[Jeff Drummond]

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NCAA TOURNAMENT | FISERV FORUM | MILWAUKEE, WISC.
MARCH 21, 2025
ATTENDANCE: TBA (announced at halftime of second game of session)

FINAL SCORE: No. 18/21 Kentucky 76, Troy 57

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky and Troy each have a 23-11 overall record.
• Kentucky leads the series, 2-0. The previous matchup Nov. 20, 2017, with UK winning 70-62.
• Mark Pope is 210-119 as head coach, including 23-11 at Kentucky.
• Next for Kentucky: on Sunday, the Wildcats take on the winner of Illinois and Xavier. Game time and television assignment will be determined after Friday’s games have been completed.

Kentucky and Coach Mark Pope in the NCAA Tournament

• Kentucky is now 131-55 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Kentucky holds NCAA records for most tournament appearances (62) and most games played (186). UK is second for most victories (131) and fourth in winning percentage (.704, 131-55, min. 20 tournament games).
• UK is 50-12 in its opening game in the tourney (regardless of seeding/position in the bracket).
• UK is 7-4 as a No. 3 seed in the tournament since seedings began in 1980.
• Coach Mark Pope earned his first win in the NCAA Tournament and is now 1-2 in the tourney.

Team Notes

• The 19-point margin of victory is Kentucky’s largest in an NCAA Tournament game since a 35-point win over Abilene Christian (79-44) in 2019.
• Kentucky limited Troy to 34.9 percent shooting (22 of 63). UK is now 6-0 this season when keeping the opponent under 36 percent.
• Kentucky held Troy to 25 percent on 3-pointers (8 of 32). UK is 13-1 this season when keeping the opponent to 25 percent or less.
• Kentucky won the rebounding, 39-38. UK is 16-4 this season when winning the rebounding.
• Kentucky totaled 23 assists tonight, most since having 25 in the win over Florida on Jan. 4.
• With 10 3-pointers tonight, it was UK’s 19th game this season with double-digit 3s.
  • UK now has 327 long balls this season, tying last season’s team for the second-most in school history. The 1992-93 team holds the record with 340 made 3-pointers.

Player Notes

• Otega Oweh totaled 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, the first Wildcat to reach all four of those marks in an NCAA Tournament game.
  • It is his 13th 20-point game of the season, his fourth in the last five games.
• Andrew Carr tallied 13 points, his fourth-straight double-figure game and 21st of the season. He also had a season-best three blocked shots.
• Koby Brea had 13 points and four assists. He had his 26th game of the season with multiple 3-pointers.
• Very active in his 15 minutes of action, Brandon Garrison accumulated 13 points, six rebounds and two steals.
• Collin Chandler scored nine points in a two-minute span in the second half, part of the 16-0 run that opened a 22-point lead.
  • The nine points are his second-most this season, only surpassed by 11 vs. LSU on March 4.
• Lamont Butler returned to action and played 25 minutes. Showing the importance of his steady presence on both ends of the court, he had a team-high +22 in the plus-minus statistic even though he didn’t score a point.

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starters were Lamont Butler, Koby Brea, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams for the fifth time this season. UK is 4-1 with this lineup.
• First substitutions were Brandon Garrison and Travis Perry at 16:42.
• With Kentucky leading 25-24, the Wildcats caught fire with a 10-0 run.
• Kentucky went to halftime ahead 35-27.
  • There were five ties and three lead changes in the first half.
  • UK is now 20-1 on the year when leading at the half.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starters.
• With Troy having pulled within 45-39, Kentucky went on a 16-0 run for a 61-39 lead with 8:04 remaining.
  • Collin Chandler started the spurt when he entered the game at 13:07, and in two minutes he hit a 3-pointer, got fouled on a 3 and made all three foul shots, and hit another 3-pointer.
  • The 16-0 run ties the second-longest spurt of the season (17-0 vs. Colgate, 16-0 vs. Florida).
• Troy fought back with nine straight points, cutting the gap to 61-48 and forcing a UK timeout with 5:39 to go.
• Kentucky quelled the advance with a 12-0 run and went on to victory.