Kentucky followed its worst offensive half of the season with its best on Tuesday night in Nashville.
The No. 12 Wildcats trailed 36-27 at halftime but used a 24-4 run as part of a 51-point second half in pulling away for a 78-64 win over upset-minded Vanderbilt.
Kentucky (19-5, 9-2 SEC) trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half, thanks in large part to the Commodores knocking down eight 3-pointers.
"I told (the team) they made eight 3s and we missed eight 1-footers," UK head coach John Calipari said. "If that happens, you're going to be behind."
That would not carry over to the second half.
Vanderbilt (9-15, 1-10 SEC) still led by nine with under 15 minutes to play before UK went on its decisive run. Kentucky's backcourt trio of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, and Immanuel Quickley scored 18 of the 24 points during the run.
"We came out to be the aggressor in the second half," Hagans said.
The UK guards finished with 54 points on the night, led by Maxey with 25. Quickley followed with 18, including back-to-back 3-pointers with under four minutes remaining to help lock down the victory. Hagans flirted with what would have been the fourth triple-double in the Cats' storied history, recording 11 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
"We may have to open up the court and let these guards run downhill like everyone does to us," Calipari said.
Junior center Nick Richards added 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots for UK. Sophomore forward EJ Montgomery chipped in with six points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots.
Vanderbilt got 20 points from Saben Lee, 13 from Scotty Pippen Jr., and 12 points and 10 rebounds from Dylan Disu. The latter was a big spark for the Dores in the first half but had just three points after the break.
The Cats held Vanderbilt to 37 percent shooting (22 of 59) from the field, including just three 3-pointers in the second half.
*****
In this Cats Illustrated "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory…
THE GOOD:
Kentucky head coach John Calipari seemed to turn his talented three-guard lineup loose in the second half. Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, and Immanuel Quickley played fast and remained in attack mode throughout the second half.
THE BAD:
Defensive intensity in the first half. Vanderbilt blitzed the Cats with eight 3-pointers in the first period, building a 36-27 lead at halftime.
THE UGLY:
The Cats are still fouling too much at times. They had four in an eight-second span of the second half, which almost allowed Vandy to get back into the game. Fortunately, the Dores were not able to capitalize on it.
GAME BALL:
Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky -- The freshman combo guard had perhaps his finest all-around game of the season. He's taken some pointed criticism from UK head coach John Calipari of late, so it was good to see him respond. In addition to his 25 points, he had four rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1 - Turnover for Kentucky point guard Ashton Hagans in more than 31 minutes of action.
8 - Consecutive wins for Kentucky over Vanderbilt. The Cats lead the all-times series 149-47.
10 - New career-high in rebounds for UK's Ashton Hagans.
12 - Blocked shots by the Cats, including three apiece for Nick Richards, EJ Montgomery, and Nate Sestina.
+17 - Team-leading +/- for UK's Immanuel Quickley.
27/51 - Kentucky's worst first-half scoring total of the season, followed by its best second-half scoring total of the season.
40-20 - Kentucky's scoring advantage in the paint.
43-32 - The rebounding edge in favor of the Cats, who were outrebounded by two in the first half.
QUOTABLE:
"The biggest thing is he played with a toughness for the first time this year... I was proud of him." -- UK head coach John Calipari on freshman guard Tyrese Maxey
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action Saturday at Rupp Arena against Ole Miss. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. ET. The Rebels (13-11, 4-7 SEC) crushed Mississippi State 83-58 tonight.
