LEXINGTON, Ky. -- On a night when unranked Missouri may have otherwise been poised to upset No. 6 Kentucky at Rupp Arena, the Wildcats leaned on their best one-on-one player to outlast the Tigers.
Freshman guard Rob Dillingham came off the Kentucky bench to go 6-of-7 from the field and 8-of-10 at the line on his way to a game-high 23 points in the Wildcats' 90-77 win.
"He's probably the best isolation player in college basketball," Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said of the UK standout.
It's that kind of ability that has even noted stickler John Calipari allowing Dillingham to play through four fouls and three turnovers in 19 minutes of action due to the upside he brings to the Cats.
"You know I love coaching you," the UK head coach said of his postgame talk with the 6-foot-2 playmaker from Hickory, N.C. "And I love coaching you because you can really play. I love guys who can really play.
"... He is as good as they get to go get baskets and get fouled."
Dillingham returned some of the praise to his coach, noting that he likes being pushed hard and held to a high standard: "Cal is perfect for me."
Kentucky (12-2, 2-0 SEC) needed that boost off the bench on a night when Missouri (8-7, 0-2 SEC) managed to hang within 5-8 points of the Cats for most of the game.
They also got a big lift from senior center/forward Tre Mitchell, who posted a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds, dished out three assists, and blocked two shots while playing all 40 minutes of the game.
"When his motor runs, he is a double-double," Calipari said of Mitchell. "And we all -- these guys rely on him."
In addition to big games from Dillingham and Mitchell, Kentucky got 16 points from DJ Wagner, 14 points from Antonio Reeves, and 10 points from Aaron Bradshaw as the Cats won their sixth straight.
Missouri was led by Noah Carter with 20 points, Sean East II with 19, and Tamar Bates with 18.
Kentucky played a third straight game without sophomore forward Adou Thiero, who has been sidelined with back soreness.
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In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
KEY MOMENT:
Kentucky led only 47-43 at halftime and by just seven points with 9:19 remaining, but the Cats allowed only one bucket the rest of the game. Missouri finished on a 1-for-15 drought, shooting just 30% in the second half after a strong 55% effort in the first half. The Tigers went from the 10:20 mark of the second half to the final 40 seconds without making a shot from the field.
GAME BALL:
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky - The Wildcats' version of "The Microwave" came off the bench ready to do what he does best against an unconventional Mizzou defense that challenged the Cats to beat traps and attack off the dribble. He set a new career-high with 23 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, 3-of-3 shooting from the arc, and 8-of-10 shooting at the free-throw line.
BY THE NUMBERS:
5 - Players in double-figure scoring for Kentucky in both SEC games this season.
15-3 - Kentucky's lead in the all-time series with Missouri, including a 9-0 mark in Lexington.
16-4 - UK advantage in points off turnovers despite committing two more turnovers (13-11) than the Tigers.
27 of 32 - The Cats shot 84.4% at the free-throw line.
42-27 - UK advantage in rebounding. The +15 on the glass was a season-high. The Cats are 7-0 when winning the battle on the glass.
50% - Shooting from the field by the Cats, who hit 28 of 56 attempts.
QUOTABLE:
"Defensively, again, first half shaky. Give (Missouri) credit with how they played, and then second half we played better or maybe they just missed shots, I don't know. But the numbers look like we played better in the second half defensively." -- UK head coach John Calipari
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action Saturday at Texas A&M. The Aggies (9-6, 0-2 SEC) lost 66-55 on Tuesday night at Auburn. Tipoff for UK and A&M is slated for 2 p.m. on ESPN.
