Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe is starting to add a dangerous offensive persona to his already imposing rebounding presence.
The Wildcats' junior big man scored a career-high 30 points to go along with 13 rebounds in leading Kentucky to a 78-66 win over Vanderbilt in Nashville. He was 11-of-16 from the field and 8-of-10 at the free-throw line to give UK a huge advantage in the paint.
"How 'bout the way the team is finding him and passing him the ball?" UK head coach John Calipari said. "... You remember him earlier in the year? Couldn't make 2-footers, would offensive rebound and throw it out. Now he's making jumpers and hitting free throws... Really happy to see how he's playing."
Tshiebwe said he never envisioned himself scoring 30 points in a game, but added "the team, they're helping me. They're looking for me down there, and I'm showing them I can do things and score to help the team."
It marked Tshiebwe's 12th double-double of the season and the fifth time he's scored more than 20 points after averaging a modest 10.6 points during his two years at West Virginia prior to joining the Cats as a transfer.
It was one of many strong performances for No. 18 Kentucky (13-3, 3-1 SEC), which notched its long-awaited first road win of the season.
Freshman guard TyTy Washington had 15 points and four assists in his second game starting at the point in place of an injured Sahvir Wheeler. UK veterans Kellen Grady, Keion Brooks Jr. and Davion Mintz each chipped in with nine points.
The Cats shot 61% in the first half in building a 41-28 lead. They stretched that margin to as many as 28 points before seeing the Commodores score the game's final 16 points in proverbial garbage time to make the final score deceptively close.
Vanderbilt (9-6, 1-2 SEC) got a game-high 32 points, including six 3-pointers, from junior guard Scotty Pippen Jr. Trey Thomas added 12 for the Dores.
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In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
KEY MOMENT:
After Vanderbilt used an 11-0 run to tie the game at 22 with 7:08 remaining in the first half, John Calipari called a timeout that got Kentucky back on track. The Wildcats responded with a 12-0 run of their own -- including seven points from Kellen Grady -- to re-establish control of the game. UK made seven of its last nine shots from the field to close the half with a 41-28 lead.
GAME BALL:
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky -- The story keeps getting better for Tshiebwe, who has taken an "Aw shucks" approach to his developing scoring prowess. One gets the impression he'd be OK if he never scored as long as the rebounds keep coming in droves, but his ability to score has brought a new dimension to the Cats. John Calipari has long insisted that any team without a post presence is a fraud. He doesn't have to worry about that this season.
BY THE NUMBERS:
0 - Kentucky won by a dozen points despite not scoring a single point for the final 6:14 of play.
1st - UK player -- Oscar Tshiebwe -- with at least 30 points and at least 10 rebounds in a game since Patrick Patterson recorded 33 points and 11 rebounds on Dec. 22, 2008, against Tennessee State.
11th - Straight win in the series for UK over Vanderbilt. The Cats lead the all-time series 152-47.
42-26 - Rebounding advantage for the Cats, including 12-4 on the offensive glass.
50-24 - Edge for UK in 2-point field goals, including 36-18 in the paint.
72 - Points by the UK starters, just six from the bench.
QUOTABLE:
"The coaches give me much confidence... From the beginning of the season to now, I've got a lot of confidence, and I'm really seeing the floor good." -- UK's Oscar Tshiebwe when asked about looking indecisive early in the season and more self-assured now.
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to Rupp Arena on Saturday for a 1 p.m. ET clash with Tennessee on ESPN. The No. 22 Volunteers (11-4, 2-2 SEC) beat South Carolina 66-46 on Tuesday night in Knoxville.
