Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s high-scoring win 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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Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 118-82 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd on Friday night at Rupp Arena:
1. This Kentucky team is a scoring machine
The 118 points UK scored was the most in the Calipari era, topping the 115-69 win over Arizona State in the Bahamas on Nov. 28, 2016. And it wasn’t an aberration.
Through just six games, the Cats have already topped the century mark twice. Last Friday, Kentucky whipped Stonehill 101-67 behind Reed Sheppard’s 25 points. This Friday, the Cats scored 69 points in the first half — the most in the Calipari era, topping a 60-39 halftime lead over Ole Miss on Dec. 29, 2016 — for a 28-point lead over the Herd. It was the most points scored by UK in a first half in Rupp Arena.
Kentucky topped the 100-point mark just once last season, beating South Carolina State 106-63 on Nov. 17, 2022. The Cats did it twice in the 2021-22 campaign, beating Robert Morris 100-60 on Nov. 12, 2021, and Tennessee 107-79 on Jan. 15, 2022.
Before that, you have to back to a 107-73 win over Illinois Chicago on Nov. 26, 2017. The season before, the 2016-17 campaign, Kentucky topped the century mark five times. Surprisingly enough, the 2014-15 team that went 38-1 topped the 100-point mark just once — a 110-75 romp over Auburn to go 27-0 on Feb. 21, 2015.
“I’ll give Cal his due, he’s come into modern times,” Marshall coach Dan D’Antoni said. “Passing the ball around shooting threes.”
2. UK continued its bombs away play
Speaking of 3-pointers, UK was 16 of 27 from long range for 59.3%. Antonio Reeves was 5 of 7 from 3-point territory. Justin Edwards was 3 of 4. Reed Sheppard, D.J. Wagner and Robert Dillingham each made a pair of threes.
Moreover, Friday was the fourth straight game that Kentucky has made double-digit threes — 12 of 36 vs Kansas; 17 of 32 vs. Stonehill; 12 of 25 vs. St. Joseph’s. That’s the longest streak of double-digit 3-point make games since the 2015-16 team went five straight games of making 10-plus.
Many of those 3-point makes were set up by excellent passes. The Cats ended up with 27 assists on the night, compared to just nine turnovers. “And I was mad on three of them,” Calipari said of the turnovers.
“Everyone can pass, dribble and shoot, like Cal says a lot,” Sheppard said. “You don’t have that a lot with a lot of teams, so it’s really special that we have it.”
3. Rob Dillingham as stat suffer
With all the talk recently about Reed Sheppard’s stellar play, let’s not forget that another freshman guard is coming off the bench — often with Sheppard — and shining, as well.
Friday night, Rob Dillingham scored 16 points in 24 minutes. Even better, the North Carolina native contributed eight assists and five rebounds in those 24 minutes. He was 7 of 8 from the floor, including 2 of 2 from beyond the 3-point line. He did miss his only free throw, ah, but no one’s perfect.
Dillingham has scored double figures in every game, including 20 points in the previously mentioned rout of Stonehill. Over his last three games, the rookie guard has 22 assists compared to six turnovers.
“How good did he play, and only he took eight shots,” Calipari said. “He was the best player on the floor with seven (made) shots.”
“I could have played a little bit better, but I just started out trying to get assists and stuff,” Dillingham said. “The game just came way easy to me.”
By better, you mean 8-for-8?
“Yeah, definitely, right. And made a free throw,” Dillingham said.
This story was originally published November 24, 2023 at 10:18 PM.
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