Basketball ***** POSTGAME NOTES: UK 84, Illinois 75 *****

[Jeff Drummond]

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NCAA TOURNAMENT | FISERV FORUM | MILWAUKEE, WISC.
MARCH 23, 2025
ATTENDANCE: TBA

FINAL SCORE: No. 18/21 Kentucky 84, Illinois 75

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 24-11 overall and Illinois is 22-13.
• Kentucky leads the series, 12-4, including 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
• Mark Pope is 211-119 as head coach, including 24-11 at Kentucky.
• Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats take on Tennessee in the Midwest Region semifinal Friday in Indianapolis. Game time and television assignment are TBA.

Kentucky and Coach Mark Pope in the NCAA Tournament

• Kentucky advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
• Kentucky is now 132-55 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Kentucky holds NCAA records for most tournament appearances (62) and most games played (187). UK is second for most victories (132) and fourth in winning percentage (.706, 132-55, min. 20 tournament games).
• UK is 8-4 as a No. 3 seed in the tournament since seedings began in 1980.
• Coach Mark Pope is now 2-2 in the NCAA Tournament, 2-0 at Kentucky.

Team Notes

• Turnovers told the tale. Illinois had 14 turnovers and Kentucky tied its season low with only five miscues. UK won points off turnovers, 26-8.
• Kentucky also tied its season best for steals with 14 thefts.
• With eight 3-pointers tonight, UK now has 335 triples this season, second most in school history. The 1992-93 team holds the record with 340 made 3-pointers.

Player Notes

• Koby Brea tied his season high for scoring with 23 points.
  • He had his 27th game of the season with multiple 3-pointers and he has made at least one 3-pointer in every game but one this season.
  • He also had six rebounds, one shy of his season high.
• Otega Oweh had 15 points, his 32nd double-figure game of the season.
  • He is averaging 19.7 over the last six games.
• Lamont Butler totaled 14 points, five assists and three steals. It is his first double-figure outing since the Auburn game on March 1 and only the second time since Jan. 18.
• Amari Williams collected eight points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.
  • It is his 16th double-figure rebound game of the season.
  • It is his fifth game with at least six assists.

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starters were Lamont Butler, Koby Brea, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams for the sixth time this season. UK is 5-1 with this lineup.
• First substitution was Collin Chandler at 16:16.
• Trailing 5-4, a 9-0 spurt gave Kentucky a 13-5 advantage and the Wildcats led the remainder of the game.
• Sparked by 14 points off turnovers. Kentucky led 37-32 at halftime as Butler sparked the Wildcats with 10 points and three assists.
  • UK is now 21-1 on the year when leading at the half.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starters.
• Kentucky scored the first 10 points of the half to make it 47-32.
• Kentucky built its largest lead at 55-39 and 70-54.
• Illinois eventually cut the lead to 74-68 with 1:32 remaining.
• Carr quelled the advance with a driving basket at 1:13 and Butler added both ends of a 1-and-1 with 1:01 to go, restoring a double-digit lead.