Kentucky basketball sets scoring records in 118-82 victory over Marshall
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Game day: No. 16 Kentucky 118, Marshall 82
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Friday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Marshall in Rupp Arena.
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Kentucky’s final tuneup for its next marquee matchup wasn’t much of a game.
The Wildcats missed five of their first six shots Friday night against Marshall, then made just about everything. No. 16-ranked UK defeated the Thundering Herd 118-82 in Rupp Arena, four days before the Cats host No. 10 Miami in the inaugural game of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Kentucky led Marshall 69-41 at halftime. The Cats went 26-for-40 from the field, made 8 of 11 3-pointers and connected on 9 of 10 free throws before the break. Four Wildcats were in double figures by halftime, and another UK player had tallied nine at that point.
The 69 points that Kentucky scored in the first half were the fourth-most in any half in program history, according to UK Sports Network statistician Corey Price. The total was also the most in any half during John Calipari’s 14-plus seasons as head coach and the most scored by the Cats in a half in Rupp Arena.
Things didn’t get any closer in the second half, with Kentucky hitting the 100-point mark on a basket by Reed Sheppard with 8:11 still remaining on the game clock. The final scoring total also set a record for the Calipari era.
The previous high came in Kentucky’s 115-69 victory over Arizona State in the Bahamas on Nov. 28, 2016. Malik Monk was UK’s leading scorer in that one with 23 points, and De’Aaron Fox recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
The stars this time around for Kentucky included D.J. Wagner (28 points, five assists and three steals), Antonio Reeves (23 points and 5-for-7 on 3-pointers), Tre Mitchell (18 points) and Rob Dillingham (16 points).
Dillingham added eight assists and five rebounds, while Sheppard had 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. Justin Edwards was also in double figures with 10 points, all in the first half.
Kentucky shot 45-for-74 from the floor and went 16-for-27 from 3-point range. The Cats were also 12 of 15 on free throws.
The most points scored in a game by Kentucky came in a 143-66 victory over Georgia on Feb. 27, 1956, in Louisville. The Rupp Arena record for the Cats is 127 points, which came in a victory over LSU on March 4, 1995.
This was the 13th meeting between Kentucky and Marshall — the schools are located about 125 miles apart — and the Wildcats are undefeated in the all-time series. The Thundering Herd have never gotten closer than 13 points in any of their games against Kentucky.
Ivisic update
UK freshman Zvonimir Ivisic was not with the team Friday due to illness, John Calipari announced during his pregame radio interview. The 7-foot-2 post player from Croatia is still waiting for a ruling by the NCAA on his amateur status but has been permitted to practice with the Wildcats until a judgment on his case is made.
Ivisic was also absent from a game earlier this season due to illness. Calipari said then that the freshman had food poisoning and missed a few days of practice as a result.
Calipari said during the pregame radio interview that UK freshman Aaron Bradshaw practiced with the team for the first time earlier in the week. Sophomore center Ugonna Onyenso has not yet returned to practice. Both big men suffered foot injuries during the offseason.
Kentucky-Miami is next
The Wildcats will play their second ranked opponent next: a game against No. 10 Miami on Tuesday night in Rupp Arena. UK’s first matchup in the ACC/SEC Challenge will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. This event is replacing the annual series between SEC and Big 12 schools.
The Hurricanes advanced to last season’s Final Four and are off to a 5-0 start to the 2023-24 campaign, with victories over NJIT, UCF, Florida International, Georgia and Kansas State.
Miami defeated K-State 91-83 on Sunday, its most recent game and the top-rated opponent — Kansas State is No. 40 in the KenPom rankings — the Canes have faced so far. The trip to Lexington will be Miami’s first game in nine days.
The Hurricanes returned several key players from last season’s Final Four team, with Wooga Poplar (18.0 points), Nijel Pack (16.0), Norchad Omier (15.8) and Bensley Joseph (11.6) all averaging double-digit scoring this season. Florida State transfer Matthew Cleveland — a five-star recruit in the 2021 class — is second on the team with 16.8 points per game.
Miami is averaging 89.0 points and shooting 45.8% from 3-point range.
The Hurricanes and Kentucky are rated ninth and 10th in offensive efficiency, respectively, according to the KenPom ratings.
This story was originally published November 24, 2023 at 8:56 PM.
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