Friday, August 15, 2014

Notes From Kentucky vs. Dominican Republic

Kentucky Basketball Postgame Notes
Kentucky 83, Dominican Republic National Team 71
August 15, 2014
Sir Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium


Team Records, Notes
Kentucky improves to 4-0 on its 2014 exhibition tour in the Bahamas.
Including a trip to Canada for an exhibition series in 2010, the Wildcats are now 7-0 in exhibition contests in the John Calipari era.

Associated head coach Kenny Payne served as Kentucky’s head coach in today’s contest.
The Wildcats return to action on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 1 p.m. ET. UK will have a rematch with Champagne Chalons-Reims Basket. The Cats previously defeated the French pro team, 81-58, on Monday. 

UK dished out 18 assists and has combined for 76 assists in the four contests for an average of 19 dimes a game.  For the third consecutive game, the Wildcats shot better than 50 percent from the field. UK poured in 35 made field goals on a 51 percent shooting clip in today’s contest. 

Kentucky tied its Bahamas-tour high with six made 3-pointers. Alex Poythress and Tyler Ulis led the way as both players sunk two from long range. 

First Half Facts
Kentucky used the starting lineup of Devin Booker, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson and Alex Poythress for the fourth consecutive outing. Kentucky’s first subs off the bench remained the same with the squad of Dominique Hawkins, Marcus Lee, Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyler Ulis and Derek Willis.

The teams exchanged points back-and-forth to begin the half. Johnson scored UK’s first four points. Poythress ignites a UK run to take a 14-9 lead following a breakaway lay-in. 
Kentucky then goes on a 7-0 run to take a 32-24 lead with 7:42 remaining. The run was capped by a Booker 3-pointer.

UK did not allow the Dominicans to score a field goal over the final 4:03 of the half which sparked a stanza-ending 13-6 run to earn a 47-36 edge at the break. Johnson and Poythress led the way in the opening half. Johnson had eight points and eight rebounds, while Poythress posted 13 points and four rebounds.

Second Half Facts
UK began the second half with Hawkins, Lee, Towns, Ulis and Willis in the lineup for the fourth straight game. That unit opened the half on another quick run sparked by consecutive alley-oop dunks by Lee.  

The run stretched to as many as 9-0 with a Hawkins’ floater ending the spurt. 
With 13 minutes remaining in the half, Johnson secured a double-double becoming the third different Wildcat to have double-digits in both points and rebounds during the exhibition contests. 

The Dominicans, however, did not go away and clawed back to within 12 at 68-56.
Towns had eight points and six rebounds after the break. 

Poythress contributed seven points to become the first player to reach the 20-point plateau during the trip.


Individual Notes

Andrew Harrison posted eight points and added a team-high six assists.
Has four or more assists in all four games
Totaled 21 assists in four games for an average of 5.25 assists per outing

Dakari Johnson secured a double-double with 10 points and a squad-best 12 boards.
Is the third different player to register a double-double in the Bahamas
Averaging 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in the four contests
One of three players with at least 10 offensive rebounds

Marcus Lee scored eight points and added a trio of rebounds
Has made 10 field goals in the last two games that have all come by way of a jam
Averaging 9.5 points and is shooting 73.9 percent from the floor

Alex Poythress led the team with 20 points and contributed five rebounds.
Leads the team averaging 15 points a game
Also contributing 7.3 rebounds Shooting at a team-high 74.2 percent from the floor
One of two players to score in double-digits in all four games.

Karl-Anthony Towns posted 12 points and seven rebounds in today’s win.
Had eight points and six rebounds after the half Averaging 12.8 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game Is one of two players to score in double-figures in all four games





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