Dillingham, Reeves power Cats in win over Vandy

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- It was Senior Night at Rupp Arena, but a freshman proved to be the proverbial lighter fluid for No. 15 Kentucky.

With the Wildcats struggling to put away pesky Vanderbilt midway through the second half, Rob Dillingham scored 11 of his game-high 23 points in an electric 3:55 spurt to help lead UK to a 93-77 win.

"Robert, again, he just did stuff that separates the team," Kentucky head coach John Calipari said.

"What he's doing by us letting him go a little bit, it's demoralizing, if you are on that other side. Make three 3s in a row. Make two layups and two passes for dunks. He's good."

Dillingham also scored 12 points in the final 4:08 of the first half as Kentucky went from five points down to five points up at the break.

Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse, who compared Dillingham's game to NBA star Kyrie Irving, said "I would say he is so shifty. I think that's the word that I would describe him... He's a tough cover for anybody. He's the guy that's capable of exploding for 25 or 30 on any given night."

Kentucky (22-8, 12-5 SEC) was far from a one-man show. The Cats also got 20 points from senior guard Antonio Reeves -- his sixth consecutive 20-plus performance -- 11 from freshman guard DJ Wagner, and 10 from freshman wing Justin Edwards.

After a sloppy start to the game, UK shot 51% from the field, knocked down 11 of 27 from the arc, and dished out assists on 27 of its 37 buckets. Freshman guard Reed Sheppard set a new career high with 11 assists to go along with eight points and four rebounds.

"Kentucky is really good, talented offensive team," Stackhouse said. "The best that I've seen, I think, since I've been here."

Vanderbilt (8-22, 3-14 SEC) was led by 23 points and nine rebounds from senior guard Tyrin Lawrence and 17 points from senior guard Ezra Manjon. The Commodores shot a respectable 45% from the field, but they finished 5-of-23 from the arc and were outrebounded 44-32.

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In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...

KEY MOMENT:

With the Cats leading 55-52 with just over 13 minutes remaining in the second half, Rob Dillingham ignited a 21-8 spurt that helped UK take control of the game. He made a runner in the paint, a pair of mid-range jumpers, a 3-pointer, and a driving layup to collect 11 points in the blink of an eye. He also dished out an assist during the run to account for 13 of the 21 points.

GAME BALL:

Rob Dillingham, Kentucky -- Once again, the dynamic freshman guard came off the UK bench to torch the opponent and give the Cats some major separation in a win. He went 9-of-15 from the field, 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and also dished out five assists.

BY THE NUMBERS:

4th - Straight game that Kentucky has shot better than 50% from the field. The Cats are 15-0 when doing so this season.

+18 - The Cats' advantage from the 3-point arc.

22-4 - Second-chance points edge for UK.

27:10 - Assist-to-turnover ratio for the Cats. The 27 assists marked a season-best.

56-13 - Bench scoring advantage for UK.

157-49 - Kentucky's lead in the all-time series with Vanderbilt, including an 86-16 mark in Lexington.

QUOTABLE:

"The last game at Rupp really means a lot to me, and being able to experience it again is everything." -- UK senior guard Antonio Reeves on his final collegiate game at the home of the Wildcats.

UP NEXT:

Kentucky returns to action on Saturday in the regular-season finale at Tennessee. The No. 4 Volunteers (24-6, 14-3 SEC) won 66-59 on Wednesday at No. 17 South Carolina. Tipoff for the Cats and Vols will be 4 p.m. ET on CBS.