Notes and Numbers from Kentucky's win over Monterrey Tech

Clearly, Kentucky did not struggle vs. Monterrey Tech tonight. The Cats cruised to their second victory of the Bahamas exhibition tour, beating the Mexican squad 102-40. As we continue to pump out our coverage, here are some postgame notes and numbers from UK Athletics.

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FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 102, TEC DE MONTERREY 40

• This was Kentucky’s second exhibition game of the Big Blue Bahamas foreign exhibition tour. UK will play two additional games during the tour.
• The Wildcats return to the Baha Mar Grand Ballroom court on Saturday vs. Carleton University (Canada). That game will tip at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
• UK improved to 11-1 in the Bahamas foreign tours. The Wildcats went 5-1 in their first foreign tour in the Bahamas in 2014 and 4-0 in their second stint in 2018. 9-1
• Kentucky is 142-12 all-time in exhibition games and has won 21 straight. UK is 39-1 in exhibition contests under head coach John Calipari.

First-Half Facts

• Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Sahvir Wheeler, Antonio Reeves, Adou Thiero, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe.
• Reeves picked up where he left off from Wednesday night by draining a 3-pointer at the 18:53 off an assist from Wheeler for the game’s first points.
• Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick, Daimion Collins and Chris Livingston were UK’s first subs at the 15:14 mark.
• Thiero got off to a fast start with a pair of driving layups, including a traditional three-point play to move the score to 14-3 early.
• Wallace found a streaking Livingston for a dunk with 11:55 to play to force Tec de Monterrey into a timeout with the Cats leading 20-8.
• Back-to-back transition finds by Wheeler to Reeves increased the edge to 24 with 6:13 to play and the Cats leading 39-15.
• Kentucky led by 32 at the break. The Cats size proved a major difference with a 30-8 advantage on the boards, forcing eight turnovers and limiting Tec de Monterrey to 27.6% shooting from the field.
• Collins scored 10 first-half points to lead UK. Reeves had nine, Wheeler scored eight and Thiero and Livingston both chipped in with seven.
• Tshiebwe led all players with seven first-half rebounds.

Second-Half Story

• Kentucky’s first five to open the second half were Wheeler, Wallace, Livingston, Toppin and Tshiebwe.
• A Wheeler swipe resulted in a Toppin transition dunk for a 61-28 lead with 15:27 to go.
• Thiero, Collins, Reeves and Fredrick entered at the first media timeout, leaving Tshiebwe in.
• With a 10th rebound at the 14:20, Tshiebwe recorded the first double-double of the foreign tour.
• A 12-0 UK spurt forced Tec de Monterrey into a timeout with the Cats in front 71-28 with 11:25 to go. Fredrick had five straight points in the spurt, and it was capped by a 3-pointer from Wallace. 
• A Toppin pull-up jumper stretched the run to 27-3 at the under-eight media timeout and Kentucky leading 86-31. 
• Brennan Canada made his first appearance at the 4:34.
• Wheeler found Livingston for a corner 3-pointer to register his 10th assist at the 3:43 mark and a 98-33 lead.
• Kareem Watkins, Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn checked in with 3:22 to play.

Team Notes

• The Wildcats connected on at least 50% of its field goals for the second straight game. UK made 40-75 (53.3%).
• UK won the battle of the boards by a wide margin, 65-22.
  • UK also snared 24 offensive rebounds based on its size.
• Kentucky forced Tec de Monterrey into 16 turnovers and also had eight blocked shots and 10 steals.
• Seven Wildcats scored in double figures.
• Four Wildcats had double-doubles. Livingston, Toppin and Tshiebwe had a double-double by the points-rebound variety, while Wheeler did it with assists and points.
• UK generated 21 assists and has logged 20 or more in both contests on this trip.

Player Notes  

• Sahvir Wheeler had 14 points and a game-high 10 assists. He also posted a pair of steals.
• Chris Livingston also scored 14 points, while contributing 10 rebounds.
  • He led the Cats in rebounding in game one and has eight or more in both outings.
• The double-double machine, Oscar Tshiebwe, logged 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
• Adou Thiero enjoyed another terrific outing with 13 points, six rebounds and a pair of assists.
  • He scored in double figures for the first time.
• Jacob Toppin broke out for 12 points and 11 rebounds.
  • It would have marked his first career double-double had this been a regular-season game.
  • He also contributed a game-high four blocked shots.
• CJ Fredrick had seven points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 15 minutes of action.
• Grant Darbyshire registered a late basket and it would have been his first career points had it been a regular season contest.
• Lance Ware was held out for precautionary reasons due to a sore left shoulder.

Box Score

Cumulative Bahamas Stats