LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky scored on 14 straight possessions to open the second half on Tuesday against Mount St. Mary's, turning what had been a modest halftime lead into a full-fledged blowout.
The No. 13 Wildcats opened the second half with almost 10 flawless minutes on the offensive end of the floor en route to an 80-55 victory at Rupp Arena.
Kentucky (2-1) got a career-high 24 points and 16 rebounds from junior transfer center/forward Oscar Tshiebwe, his third consecutive double-double to open the season. He's the first Wildcat since Julius Randle in 2013 to open his career with three straight double-doubles.
Tshiebwe, who has scored most of his points around the basket this season, showed off his mid-range shooting ability on this night.
"They were taking the 3-pointers away from my teammates so that left me one-on-one. That was easy," he said. "Now, the teams we are playing next are going to say ‘OK, what can we do to stop Oscar from shooting? What can you do to stop us from going to the rim?’ Now they’re going to leave one of my teammates open.”
"I told you all that he can shoot the ball," UK coach John Calipari said of Tshiebwe. "He is one of our best 15-, 17-foot shooters. The other day we did the five-minute shooting drill that we do, and in five minutes he made 87 shots. Eighty-seven. I think the most ever was by Kyle Wiltjer. He might have made 89 one time. The kid made 87."
The Cats placed three other players in double-figures, including freshman guard TyTy Washington (16), Sahvir Wheeler (12), and Keion Brooks (10). Wheeler also dished out eight assists while Brooks pulled down seven rebounds to complement another monster night on the glass for Tshiebwe.
"I feel like it would be hard for teams to rebound with us if Oscar is getting 20 and I am pitching in my eight or 10 where I can," Brooks said.
"Keion got them in the first half," Calipari said. "I loved it. That's how he has to play, or people will move by him. I told him, ‘Just go play.’ He had energy."
Led by Tshiebwe's 11-of-14 night, Kentucky shot 53% from the field and had just 12 turnovers. The Cats were just 4-for-10 from beyond the arc but did not need to rely on their perimeter shooting in this matchup. They outscored the Mountaineers 46-16 in the paint.
The Cats held Mount St. Mary's to just 34% shooting from the field and dominated the rebounding column, 41-27.
“In my first year of coaching, we played North Carolina and the one motor that he reminds me of is Tyler Hansbrough," Mount St. Mary's coach Dan Englestad said of Tshiebwe. "That motor that he has is just different. Averaging 11 offensive rebounds in two games is no fluke... He's an elite rebounder."
Mount St. Mary's (1-3) was led by guards Jalen Benjamin and Josh Reaves, who each scored 11points. Dakota Leffew added 10 for the Mountaineers.
Kentucky played without veteran forwards Jacob Toppin (shoulder) and Lance Ware (ankle). Calipari said both remain "day-to-day."
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In this Rapid Recap feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
GAME BALL:
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky -- The big man from the Congo is entering elite fan favorite status with Big Blue Nation after another Herculean effort on the glass. He has now pulled down 56 rebounds in his first three games as a Cat for an average of 18.7 per game. For good measure, Tshiebwe also led UK in scoring, showing of a smooth mid-range jump shot that could become another offensive weapon for the Cats moving forward.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1st - Kentucky player (Oscar Tshiebwe) with at least 20 points and at least 15 rebounds in a game since Nick Richards posted 25 points and 15 boards vs. Fort Wayne on Nov. 22, 2017.
8-of-8 - UK shooting at the free-throw line. The Cats have hit 15 of their last 16.
30 - Assists by Sahvir Wheeler are the most ever by a UK player to begin a career. He has dished out 20 assists with only one turnover in the last two games.
56 - Rebounds by UK's Oscar Tshiebwe to begin his career with the Cats are the most on record dating back to 1956-57 when comprehensive rebounding stats began.
80-0 - Cats' record under John Calipari when holding the opponent to 55 or fewer points.
QUOTABLE:
"If he was one or two away, I would have left him in for another minute and let him get two rebounds because that's not being selfish. He needs two more points? Sit down. It's not about points. That's ego stuff. Rebounds are hard to get, and that's not being selfish." -- UK coach John Calipari on the temptation to leave Oscar Tshiebwe in the game in order to pursue his third straight 20-rebound night.
UP NEXT:
The Cats will wrap up their Kentucky Classic participation when they play host to Ohio on Friday at 7 p.m. ET in Rupp Arena. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
