Game Notes: Kentucky 77, Duquesne 52

Post-game notes after the Cats' 25-point win over Duquesne

Here are some important game notes following the No. 4 Wildcats' 77-52 win over the Duquesne Dukes on Friday night: 

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 2-0 and Duquesne is 1-1.
• Kentucky leads the series, 3-0, with all games having been played in Lexington.
• The Wildcats return to action Tuesday, Nov. 15 vs. Michigan State in the Champions Classic, which will be played in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Game time is 7 p.m. and it will be televised by ESPN.

Team Notes

• Kentucky limited Duquesne to 52 points.
• UK is 84-0 under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 55 points or less.
• UK is 204-9 (95.8%) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 63 points or less.
• Duquesne shot 30.3% from the field. UK is 224-24 (90.3%) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 40% or less.
• Kentucky won the rebounding margin, 46-35.
• Kentucky had 22 assists and the Cats have had at least 20 in both games.
• Kentucky led by as many as 25 points. The Wildcats are 312-13 (96.0%) in the Calipari era when leading by as many as 10 points at any time during the contest.
• This is the first time since the 2013-14 season that the Wildcats have won each of their first two games by at least 25 points.
• Kentucky made 57.9% from 3-point range, 11 of 19. Also making 11 in the opener, through two games the Wildcats are hitting 51.2% from long distance.
• The 2022 UK Athletics Hall of Fame class was introduced at halftime, including men’s basketball star Jim Andrews. Andrews lettered in 1971-72-73 (freshmen ineligible for varsity in those days), was first-team All-Southeastern Conference as a junior and senior and helped lead the Wildcats to three consecutive SEC championships.

Rupp Arena

• UK extended its home win streak to 21 games, dating back to the 2020-21 season, and is the longest current home win streak in the Southeastern Conference.
• Kentucky is 635-77 (89.2%) in the 47-year history of Rupp Arena.
• Kentucky is 208-17 (92.4%) in Rupp Arena under Calipari.

Player Notes

• Antonio Reeves had 18 points, leading the Wildcats in scoring for the second consecutive game. He made 4 of 6 shots from 3-point land.
• CJ Fredrick was next with 14 points, netting 4 of 7 from long range.
• Seeing his first action of the season, it was a day of elevens for Sahvir Wheeler. On the 11th day of the 11th month, he had 11 points and 11 assists.
• It is the 11th double-double of his career and the 11th time he has had double-figure assists.
• Freshman Ugonna Onyenso neared a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. He added three blocked shots and has seven total, third-most for any UK players in his first two games:
• Anthony Davis 12 in 2011-12
• Perry Stevenson 11 in 2006-07
• Rodney Dent 7 in 1992-93 (junior season, his first at UK)
• Lance Ware had four points, three rebounds and four blocked shots, leading the Wildcats to a total of 11 rejections.

Coach John Calipari

• Calipari is 13-4 vs. Duquesne, including 2-0 at Kentucky.
• Calipari has an 812-241 all-time regular-season record and a 367-101 mark at Kentucky.

In the First Half

• Kentucky has started Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick, Chris Livingston, Jacob Toppin and Lance Ware for both games.
• Duquesne scored the game’s first three points before Fredrick tied it at 17:57.
• Antonio Reeves was UK’s first substitution at the 15:16 mark.
• Trailing 8-7, a pair of baskets by Ugonna Onyenso started a 6-0 UK run, giving the Wildcats a lead they held the remainder of the game.
• UK stretched the lead to as many as 16 points at 36-20 and the halftime score of 38-22.
• Wallace and Reeves had seven points each to lead balanced scoring. Seeing his first action of the season, Sahvir Wheeler had six points and six assists.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
• Duquesne scored the first seven points of the half before Onyenso got UK on the board with a layup at 16:21. Fredrick followed with a 3-pointer and the Wildcats led by double digits the remainder of the contest.
• A basket-and-one by Reeves with 10:28 made him the first Wildcat in double-figure scoring. That began a 12-2 spurt that gave the Wildcats their then-largest lead at 58-37. UK eventually stretched the lead to 25 points on two occasions, including the final score of 77-52. 

For more on the win, click here.