Game Notes: Kentucky 96, North Florida 56

Below are post-game notes from No. 15 Kentucky's 96-56 victory over the North Florida Ospreys:

Team Records and Series Notes

Kentucky won the championship of the Tribute Classic, presented by Kentucky Tourism, with wins over Duquesne, South Carolina State and North Florida.
Kentucky is now 4-2 on the season, North Florida is 1-4.
Kentucky leads the series, 2-0. The previous matchup was an 86-52 UK win on Nov. 26, 2021.
The Wildcats have the weekend off before returning to game action on Nov. 29, at home vs. Bellarmine. Game time is 7 p.m. and it will be televised on SEC Network+.

Team Notes

Kentucky limited North Florida to 34.5% from the field. UK is 225-24 (90.4%) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 40 percent or less shooting, including 4-0 this season.
Kentucky held North Florida to 56 points. UK is 206-9 (95.8%) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 63 points or less, including 4-0 this season.
Kentucky led by as many as 47 points. UK is 314-13 (96.0%) under Calipari when leading by as many as 10 points at any time in the contest.
Kentucky dominated around the basket, winning the rebounding 50-35, points in the paint 42-18 and second-chance points 22-8.
Kentucky had 23 assists and has had at least 20 in all four victories this season.
Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe each had double-doubles today, first time UK had two double-doubles since Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler did so last season against North Florida.
Second time this season that two Wildcats had at least 20 points.
Toppin, Tshiebwe and Ugonna Onyenso had double-figure rebounds today, first time UK had three Wildcats do so since Isaiah Jackson, Olivier Sarr and Brandon Boston Jr. vs. Richmond on Nov. 29, 2020.

Player Notes

After tying his career high of 16 points vs. Gonzaga, Jacob Toppin set a new personal standard today with 20 points. He also had 10 rebounds, giving him his second double-double of the season.
After scoring 18 points in the opening half, Antonio Reeves finished with 20, his second 20-point game of the season.

Oscar Tshiebwe had a stat-stuffer day with 16 points, 15 rebounds, a career-high five assists, three steals and two blocked shots

He has 31 double-doubles in 38 games at Kentucky, including three of four this season.

He has made at least one 3-pointer in each game this season and multiple threes in the last four games.

Coach John Calipari

Calipari is 2-0 vs. North Florida, both games at Kentucky.
Calipari has an 814-243 all-time on-court record and a 369-103 mark in his 14th season at UK.
UK is 302-58 (83.9%) against unranked competition under Calipari.

Rupp Arena

UK extended its home win streak to 23 games, dating back to the 2020-21 season, and is the longest active home win streak in the Southeastern Conference and (as this is written) tied for third-longest in the nation.
Kentucky is 637-77 (89.2%) in the 47-year history of Rupp Arena.
Kentucky is 210-17 (92.5%) in Rupp Arena under Calipari.

In the First Half

Kentucky started the combination of Sahvir Wheeler, Cason Wallace, Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe for the first time this season. It was Reeves’ first start as a Wildcat.
CJ Fredrick, Daimion Collins and Chris Livingston were UK’s first substitutes at the 13:33 mark.
Kentucky never trailed, although the game was tied twice, at 2-2 and 5-5.
Tied at 5, Wallace’s 3-pointer from the right corner ignited a 9-0 run and UK led the rest of the way.
After a Tshiebwe steal, Reeves hit a pullup 3-pointer at the buzzer – his fourth long ball of the half – giving Kentucky its largest lead of the opening stanza, a 54-23 halftime advantage. It is UK’s most points in a first half this season.

Reeves led the Wildcats with 18 points while Tshiebwe neared a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. The last player with at least 18 points in the first half was PJ Washington at Vanderbilt on Jan. 29, 2019.

In the Second Half

Kentucky opened with the starting lineup.
Kentucky steadily built its lead, with no runs in the second half greater than six points, and eventually led by as many as 47 points at 90-43.
North Florida scored the final six points of the game to reach the final score.