LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Slow starts have not come back to bite Kentucky in either of its last two games, but after Saturday's 56-47 close-call win over Vanderbilt, John Calipari warned that the Wildcats cannot continue the trend.

"We've got to figure out how we start games. It's getting ridiculous," the UK head coach said after his team fell behind by 12 points before the first media timeout at Rupp Arena. Four days earlier, the Cats found themselves trailing Texas A&M 10-0 on their home floor.

Added Calipari: "It's five halves in a row where we just start the game, and we're getting smashed... We have to be more desperate to start games, more desperate for 40 minutes. We have to understand that every team that plays us is excited, and at the beginning of the game, they're coming."

To its credit, No. 18 Kentucky (12-3, 2-1 SEC) has not allowed the early deficits to rattle it.

Although the Cats did not take the lead until the early stages of the second half, once they grabbed it, they did not relinquish it. UK outscored the Commodores 28-17 after the break, holding the visitors to only six baskets and 24-percent shooting.

"We sustained effort, we helped each other, we were communicating pretty good," Calipari said of the second-half defensive effort.

Vanderbilt (9-6, 0-3 SEC) hit four of its first five shots from the 3-point arc to build the early lead, but made only three of its next 20.

"Missing shots," Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew said. "Young or old, you go 7-for-25 (from 3-point range) and your best three shooters go 3-for-18 and the last game they were 2-for-18, you're not going to win games. We need to get our best guys making shots."

The Commodores had only one player in double figures, freshman forward Aaron Nesmith with 11.

A pair of freshmen, Ashton Hagans and Keldon Johnson, led UK with 15 points apiece. Hagans also had four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Johnson knocked down six of his eight shots on the night.

Another UK freshman, Immanuel Quickley, came off the bench to score 12 points for the Cats, including knocking down three of UK's four 3-pointers.

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

THE GOOD:

Kentucky locked down defensively in the second half. It wasn't just a one-man show with Ashton Hagans creating havoc. Immanuel Quickley also did a nice job of applying pressure. Reid Travis blocked a pair of shots. Nick Richards challenged and disrupted several shots. Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson were active on the wings. It was closer to the type of defensive effort that John Calipari has been seeking.

THE BAD:

Offensively, the Cats often looked confused and indecisive against a zone defense that Vanderbilt stayed in for 40 minutes. UK scored a season-low 56 points, even though it shot 50 percent from the field.

THE UGLY:

If you take Immanuel Quickley out of the equation, UK's other eight players combined to knock down only one of nine shots from 3-point range against a zone defense.

GAME BALL:

Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky -- The freshman guard from Maryland has been quietly stringing together one quality outing after another since league play began. In a game where neither team could really take full command, his three timely treys may have made the difference. He's now averaging 10 points per game in SEC play.

BY THE NUMBERS:

1 - Lead change in the game with UK going ahead 33-30 at the 18:48 mark of the second half.

3 - Steals for UK freshman guard Ashton Hagans, who now has 22 in the last five games.

4 - Second-chance points for Vanderbilt.

6 of 12 - Commodores' free-throw shooting.

13-2 - Fast-break points in favor of UK.

16-4 - Points off turnovers in favor of UK.

20 - Rebounds between UK bigs Reid Travis (12) and PJ Washington (8). The Cats outrebounded the Dores 38-21.

22,504 - A season-high attendance at Rupp Arena.

QUOTABLE:

"Immanuel Quickley, those were big shots for us... BIG shots." -- UK coach John Calipari

UP NEXT:

The Cats return to action Tuesday at Georgia in a 7 ET tipoff on ESPN. The Bulldogs (9-6, 1-2 SEC) lost 93-78 on Saturday at No. 11 Auburn.