LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky went on a 21-4 run spanning the first and second halves Saturday and got a huge performance from star point guard Ashton Hagans en route to a 67-53 win over Georgia Tech at Rupp Arena.
The No. 8 Wildcats (8-1) turned a five-point deficit into a 36-30 lead at halftime, then scored the first six points of the second half to take control of the game. Georgia Tech could draw no closer than seven over the final 10 minutes of the game.
Hagans, a sophomore who has been hailed as the top player at his position in the country by UK head coach John Calipari, posted 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out seven assists.
He was also a key defender on Georgia Tech guards Michael Devoe and Bubba Parham, who combined for just 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field. Devoe entered the game as the ACC's leading scorer (21.4 ppg) and Parham scored 35 points and made 10 3-pointers against UK last season at Rupp Arena while playing for VMI.
"He's so far advanced," Calipari said of Hagans. "And again, there may be better point guards out there, (but) I'd have to watch closely. I mean, the way he's playing... he's starting to master his skills."
Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner, who recruited Hagans out of Cartersville, Ga., added to the praise.
"He was a pro tonight," Pastner said. "He was a first-round draft pick the way he played tonight. He's gotten better and continued to improve. He's a phenomenal young man and he's just a good person. He's got a good spirit about him."
Kentucky also got 16 points from sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley, who matched his career-high, 12 from junior center Nick Richards, and 10 from freshman forward Keion Brooks Jr.
Georgia Tech (4-4) was led by Moses Wright with 13 points, while Khalid Moore and Parham each added 10. Devoe finished with only five points.
*****
In this Cats Illustrated "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory…
THE GOOD:
Ashton Hagans continues to show why John Calipari has been hailing him as the best point guard in college basketball. He scored a game-high 21 points, pulled down seven rebounds, and dished out seven assists in flirting with a triple-double. Hagans was also a typical ballhawk on defense, making life miserable for the Georgia Tech guards.
THE BAD:
Tyrese Maxey went 0-for-9 from the field, extending his shooting slump to 4-for-26 over the last three games. To the freshman guard's credit, the errant shots did not affect his all-around game. He pulled down seven rebounds, dished out six assists, and played strong defense.
THE UGLY:
E.J. Montgomery was not able to build upon his breakout game last week against Fairleigh Dickinson, finishing with no points and just three rebounds in 20-plus minutes of action against Georgia Tech. One step up, one step back.
GAME BALL:
Ashton Hagans, Kentucky -- The sophomore point guard was fantastic on both ends of the floor. Hagans led the Cats in scoring and was also the primary defender on Georgia Tech's Bubba Parham, who lit UK up for 10 3-pointers en route to 35 points last year as a member of the VMI team. This time around, Parham managed only 10 points, and most of those came when defended by someone other than Hagans.
BY THE NUMBERS:
4 - Blocked shots for UK's Nick Richards, the third time this season he has recorded that many rejections.
6 - Game winning streak for the Cats.
15 of 18 - Kentucky at the free-throw line, 83.3 percent
17-0 - John Calipari's record against former assistant coaches.
18 - Assists on 24 made buckets by UK.
34-25 - The Cats' edge on the glass, led by seven rebounds apiece from guards Ashton Hagans and Tyrese Maxey.
57-15 - Kentucky's lead in the all-time series with Georgia Tech, an original member of the SEC (1933-64).
77-0 - UK's record under Calipari when holding the opponent to under 55 points.
QUOTABLE:
"How we finish games is going to be vital because we're going to be in a bunch of close games. We are. We're not going to be 25 points better than people." -- UK head coach John Calipari
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 18, against Utah in Las Vegas. Tipoff is slated for 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2
