Stats, Facts, Numbers and Notes from the Kentucky Loss to Texas A&M

That sure could’ve been a whole lot more fun, huh? Kentucky and Texas A&M exchanged one haymaker after another. The Cats missed a chance to blow the game open midway through the second half, then rode Rob Dillingham until he almost shifted his way into a game-winning three. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

Kentucky did not make a field goal in overtime, falling 97-92 to Texas A&M at Reed Arena. The Aggies’ 97 points are the most they’ve scored in a conference game since they joined the SEC in 2012-13. Here are a few more numbers and notes from the loss, Kentucky’s first in SEC play this season.

Kentucky Team Notes

— Kentucky is 1-1 in overtime games this season, previously logging a win over St. Joseph’s.

— The Wildcats scored 92 points, exceeding their average of 90.7 per game, which ranked third in the nation entering the game. It ties the Calipari record for the most points scored in a loss. De’Aaron Fox’s 2016-17 team scored 92 in a regular season loss to UCLA by the same final score. The Cats have scored at least 80 points in all but one game this season.

— The poor defensive performance dropped Kentucky ten spots in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rating. The Wildcats fell from No. 44 to No. 54. They still rank No. 18 overall.

— Kentucky made 15 of 39 on 3-pointers. 15 threes are the second-most of the season and 39 attempts are a season high.

— UK had 22 assists with only 11 turnovers, a +2.0 ratio. UK entered the game third in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at +1.87.

— Kentucky won the battle in transition, out-scoring A&M 11-8 in fastbreak points. UK entered the game seventh in the nation in fastbreak points.

— Kentucky blocked nine shots, tying the season high. Prior to this season the Wildcats most recently blocked at least nine shots in the 2021-22 season.

About A&M

— The Aggies entered the game shooting 26% from three-point land. One of the worst three-point shooting teams in college basketball netted 12-of-32 against Kentucky (37.5%), the second-most makes of the year for A&M. The only other team that let A&M get hot from downtown — DePaul.

— Texas A&M hit more threes in one game against Kentucky (12) than they hit in their first two SEC games (8). The Aggies were shooting just 17% from three-point land to tip-off SEC play.

— Hayden Hefner missed eight straight threes, then hit his first attempt against Kentucky.

— Wade Taylor IV (31) and Tyrece Radford (28) scored more than 60% of A&M’s total points. Radford hit the only field goal of the overtime period in his highest-scoring performance of the season.

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Highlighting Specific Wildcats

— Antonio Reeves scored a team-high 22 points, his seventh 20-point game of the season, but he did not make a field goal after netting a layup with 12:43 on the clock in the second half.

— Tre Mitchell had a team-high 13 rebounds, but the West Virginia transfer only scored 8 points on 3-of-13 shooting. He scored in double figures in three of the previous four games.

— Ugonna Onyenso blocked five shots, setting a new career-high. He also tied his career-high for rebounds with 10.

— For the fourth game in a row, DJ Wagner scored in double figures. He tallied 18 points, the most he’s scored against a power conference opponent this season.

— Rob Dillingham hit three three-pointers in 64 seconds to tie the ballgame. Unfortunately his final attempt at the end of regulation did not get a W for Kentucky. “It’s going to go in March,” he said.