Five things you need to know from Kentucky basketball’s 97-68 win over Lipscomb
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Game day: No. 9 Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Tuesday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Lipscomb in Rupp Arena.
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Five things you need to know from No. 9 Kentucky’s 97-68 win over Lipscomb in men’s NCAA college basketball at Rupp Arena on Tuesday night:
1. Jaxson Robinson gets going. After scoring only one point in UK’s 77-72 win over Duke in the Champions Classic, BYU transfer Jaxson Robinson bounced back with his best game of the season to date.
The 6-foot-6, 192-pound super-senior came within one point of his season high in the first half. Robinson had 13 points before halftime, hitting 3 of 6 shots, 2 of 4 3-pointers and all five of his free throw tries. For good measure, Robinson also claimed five first-half rebounds.
In half two, Robinson kept it going. He finished a high-efficiency night by making 6 of 10 shots, 3 of 5 treys and the five foul shots for 20 points while also grabbing seven rebounds.
It was a positive for Robinson to have a strong showing before a “struggling player” narrative built around him.
Robinson’s effort was part of a strong showing by Kentucky’s three starting guards. Lamont Butler (16 points, 3 of 3 treys) and Otega Oweh (14 points, 5 of 6 field goals, four rebounds, two blocked shots) also played well.
2. Lipscomb’s arctic 3-point shooting. In the five games prior to coming to Rupp Arena, Lipscomb had not been lighting it up from behind the 3-point arc. The Bisons entered Tuesday night’s game making only 31.8 percent of their 3-point attempts.
But that percentage would have been scalding hot compared to how Lipscomb shot the ball from deep in the first half at Rupp Arena.
Shooting in the “big house,” Lipscomb missed its first 13 3-point tries.
When 6-foot-10 center Charlie Williams finally hit from behind the arc on Lipscomb’s 14th attempt, he threw his arms in the air in response as if to say “finally.”
The Bisons finished the first half 2-of-19 for a frigid 10.5 percent.
Conversely, Kentucky hit 8 of its 13 treys in half one, a robust 61.5 percent.
In half two, Lipscomb managed to hit 3 of 10 3-point tries and finished the game 5-of-29 on trey attempts.
3. Comparing Lipscomb scores between Kentucky and Arkansas. Lipscomb was the preseason pick to win the ASUN, so the Bisons are an interesting measuring stick for some comparative scores.
In their first six games this season, the Bisons have already played two SEC teams — Kentucky and Arkansas.
In the Bisons’ second game of 2024-25, they took a 76-60 loss at Arkansas on Nov. 6.
John Calipari’s Razorbacks won the first half over Lipscomb by 11 points and the second half by five.
Arkansas won in spite of making only 4 of 19 3-point attempts. The Hogs dominated Lipscomb under the basket, outscoring the Bisons 54-22 in the paint.
Old friends Boogie Fland (17 points), Zvonimir Ivisic (12 points, three rebounds, three blocked shots), Adou Thiero (eight points, four rebounds) and D.J. Wagner (seven points, two assists) led Arkansas.
Conversely, Kentucky beat Lipscomb by 17 points in the first half and by 12 in half two.
The Wildcats hit 12 of 25 treys, but won the points in the paint only 40-34.
Strictly comparing the numbers vs. Lipscomb, UK was more impressive vs. the Bisons than were Calipari’s Razorbacks — not that that will mean anything when Arkansas comes to Rupp Arena on Feb. 1.
4. Mark Pope vs. past UK coaches. With Kentucky now standing 4-0, Mark Pope already has the fourth-longest streak of consecutive wins to start his initial season as UK men’s basketball head coach since 1930.
The only Wildcats head men in that time frame to go longer at the start of their first seasons before losing are John Calipari (lost first game in 20th contest), Adolph Rupp (11th game) and Eddie Sutton (sixth game).
5. Cats vs. the Music City. With its victory, Kentucky is now 166-49 all-time against the four current NCAA Division I teams that are located in Nashville.
UK is 1-0 vs. Belmont, 3-0 vs. Lipscomb, 5-0 vs. Tennessee State and 157-49 against SEC-rival Vanderbilt.
Vandy’s 49 wins over Kentucky are the second most of any opponent. Among SEC schools, only Tennessee, with 78, has more all-time victories over UK than Vanderbilt.
Meanwhile, with its defeat of Lipscomb, Kentucky is now 25-1 all-time against the teams currently in the ASUN Conference.
UK is 12-0 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 5-0 vs. Austin Peay, 3-0 vs. Lipscomb, 2-0 vs. North Florida, 1-0 vs. Bellarmine, 1-0 vs. Central Arkansas, and 1-1 against Jacksonville.
Kentucky has never played ASUN members Florida Gulf Coast, North Alabama, Queens, Stetson and West Georgia.
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 8:53 PM.
