No. 1 Kentucky Loses to Unranked Evansville at Rupp Arena

Kentucky rose to No. 1 in the AP Poll on Monday after defeating No. 3 Michigan State on Nov. 5
No. 1 Kentucky Loses to Unranked Evansville at Rupp Arena
No. 1 Kentucky Loses to Unranked Evansville at Rupp Arena /

No. 1 Kentucky lost to unranked Evansville at Rupp Arena in Lexington on Tuesday night. The Wildcats' 67–64 defeat dropped them to 2–1 in 2019–20.

Kentucky jumped to No. 1 in the AP Poll on Monday, vaulting over preseason No. 1 Michigan State. John Calipari's squad defeated the Spartans on opening night, winning 69–62 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 5.

Two Evansville players finished in double figures in the victory. Junior guard K.J. Riley led all scorers with 18 points. Kentucky freshman Tyrese Maxey scored 15 points after leading the Wildcats with 26 in their win over Michigan State.

Evansville is led by head coach Walter McCarty, who won the 1996 national championship with Kentucky. McCarty was a two-time All-SEC selection with the Wildcats, averaging double-digit points per game in two of his three seasons in Lexington. McCarty is in his second year as the Purple Aces' head coach. 

Kentucky entered Tuesday night with 52 straight wins against unranked non-conference opponents at Rupp. Calipari is now 46–3 in his career against unranked opponents.


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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Michael Shapiro is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated. He is a Denver native and 2018 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.