Basketball Postgame Notes: Oakland 80, Kentucky 76 - NCAA 1st Round

[Jeff Drummond]

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

KENTUCKY vs. OAKLAND

NCAA TOURNAMENT, SOUTH REGION FIRST ROUND

PPG PAINTS ARENA | PITTSBURGH, PA

MARCH 21, 2024
ATTENDANCE: TBA



Final Score: Oakland 80, No. 12 Kentucky 76



Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky finishes the season 23-10.
  • UK was 9-6 this season away from Rupp Arena, including 2-3 at neutral sites.
• Oakland is 24-11 and extends its win streak to five games.
• This was the first meeting between UK and Oakland in men’s basketball.

Kentucky and Coach John Calipari in the NCAA Tournament

• Kentucky is now 130-55 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Kentucky holds NCAA records for most tournament appearances (61) and most games played (185). UK is second for most victories (130) and fourth in winning percentage (.703, 130-55, min. 20 tournament games).
• UK is 49-12 in its opening game in the tourney (regardless of seeding/position in the bracket).
• UK is 6-4 as a No. 3 seed in the tournament since seedings began in 1980.
• Calipari is 57-22 (72.2%) in NCAA Tournament games.
• UK is 32-12 (72.7%) in the NCAA Tournament under Calipari. Since he took over in the 2009-10 season, going into this year’s tournament, no team has more:
  • NCAA Tournament wins – 32 (tied with Kansas)
  • Final Four appearances – four
  • Elite Eight appearances – seven
  • Sweet 16 appearances – eight

Team Notes

• The game featured eight ties, 15 lead changes and the teams were separated by no more than seven points the entire game.
• Kentucky shot 75% on free throws, 15 of 20, the 12th straight game at least 70% at the line.
• Although Oakland won the rebounding, 40-39, and offensive rebounds 14-11, UK won second-chance points 18-5.
• Kentucky blocked six shots. The Wildcats entered the game third in the nation with 6.3 blocks per game.

Player Notes

• Antonio Reeves had 27 points, his 20th 20-point game of the season.
  • He scored in double figures in every game but one this season.
  • He also hit at least one 3-pointer in every game but one this season.
  • He finished with 1,155 points in his two seasons as a Wildcat. Tonight, he moved past Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones (1,151) and Vernon Hatton (1,153) to finish 45th on the UK career scoring list.
  • He remains No. 2 among Wildcats who played only two seasons at UK. Bill Spivey owns the two-year mark with 1,213 points.
• Tre Mitchell had 14 points and 13 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season.
• Justin Edwards had 10 points, his 14th double-figure game of the season.
• Rob Dillingham had 10 points, his 27th double-figure game of the season.

Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has an 855-263 (76.5%) all-time on-court record, including 410-123 (76.9%) at Kentucky.
  • Calipari is 171-60 as a collegiate coach in games played in March or April.
• Calipari is 336-72 (82.4%) against unranked opponents while at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 1-1 vs. Oakland, including a 69-63 home win on Dec. 29, 2003, while at Memphis.

In the First Half

• Kentucky started D.J. Wagner, Antonio Reeves, Justin Edwards, Tre Mitchell and Ugonna Onyenso for the second time. UK is 1-1 with this lineup.
• Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard were UK’s first substitutions with 15:55 remaining.
• With Kentucky leading 13-11, Oakland went on an 8-0 run to lead 19-13.
• Kentucky reclaimed the lead, 33-31, on a Dillingham 3-pointer at the 3:11 mark.
• Oakland scored the final five points of the half and took a 38-35 lead into intermission.
• Jack Gohlke of Oakland led all players in the first half with seven 3-pointers/21 points while Reeves paced Kentucky with 14 points.
• UK is now 3-7 this season when trailing at halftime.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with Wagner, Reeves, Edwards, Mitchell and Aaron Bradshaw.
• The teams went back-and-forth until consecutive threes by Oakland gave the Grizzlies a 49-45 lead.
• Oakland stretched the lead to seven, the largest margin of the game for either team, at 59-52 with nine minutes left.
• Kentucky pulled within 75-74 on a Dillingham 3-pointer with one minute to go.
• Oakland’s DQ Cole made a 3-pointer from the left corner with 29 seconds left to make it 78-74.
• Oakland added a free throw to make it 79-74.
• Edwards’ layup with four seconds left cut it to 79-76.
• With 3.9 seconds left, Oakland made a free throw for the final score of 80-76.