LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Immanuel Quickley's recent surge is changing perceptions of Kentucky's upside.

The sophomore guard continued his hot shooting streak on Saturday at Rupp Arena, coming off the bench to score a team-high 19 points in the No. 14 Wildcats' 76-67 win over Alabama.

Quickley has averaged 18.8 points per game during a four-game win streak for Kentucky (12-3, 3-0 SEC). He has made 14 of 23 shots from beyond the arc during that stretch.

“With him shooting like that, it’s a completely different team," Alabama coach Nate Oats said. "If he shoots 5-of-6 from three, I am not sure who is better than that in the country."

Added UK coach John Calipari: "He's a confident kid, and what he does, he spends so much time in the gym, he expects to make them... He's kind of like Tyler (Herro). He's like Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), those guys. He's just like them. The guy, the energy. He finishes first on every run. he's built his own (confidence)."

Quickley hit perhaps the two biggest shots of the day for the Cats. With UK leading by three with 4:33 remaining and by four with a minute to go, he buried his fourth and fifth 3-pointers to keep the Crimson Tide at bay.

“It feels a lot like high school," Quickley said of his recent hot streak. "Honestly, it feels a lot like pick-up, feels like I’m back in my gym at home, and I’m just shooting every shot and the rim’s like a wide-open ocean right now."

Kentucky also got another double-double from junior center Nick Richards, his seventh of the season. The 7-footer scored 13 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked five shots.

"NBA-level rim protection," Oats said.

UK point guard Ashton Hagans flirted with a triple-double, recording 15 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Backcourt mate Tyrese Maxey added 13 points, giving the Cats four players in double figures on a day when they shot 44.4% (28 of 63) from the field and nine of 15 from the arc.

Alabama (8-7, 1-2 SEC) was held to 36.8% (28 of 76) from the field and an uncharacteristic four of 21 from long range. The Tide came into the matchup leading the SEC at 11.1 made 3-pointers per game.

Herbert Jones led the Tide with 18 points, followed by John Petty Jr. with 16 and Kira Lewis Jr. with 10. However, the trio combined to hit just 18 of 46 shots from the field.

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

THE GOOD:

Kentucky entered the matchup knowing the key was running Alabama off the 3-point line. Although the strategy resulted in more points in the paint and offensive rebounds for the Tide than the Cats would have preferred, it likely helped UK avoid an upset. Alabama made only four of 21 shots from beyond the arc, seven fewer than its league-leading season average.

THE BAD:

Alabama grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, turning them into 17 second-chance points. The Tide matched the bigger Cats 44-44 on the glass.

THE UGLY:

The Cats were really careless with the ball at times, committing 14 turnovers resulting in 17 points for Alabama. Fortunately, UK had just one turnover during the final 11:16.

GAME BALL:

Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky -- It's been quite a four-game run for the Cats' sophomore combo guard. The Maryland native has recorded 18, 23, 15, and 19 points during that stretch, shooting 20-of-40 from the field and going 14-for-23 from the 3-point arc. Through the Ohio State game, he was shooting 31% from deep. Since that game in Las Vegas, he's hitting at a 61% clip. After coming off the bench 5:52 into the game, Quickley never left the floor again. He added five rebounds and three assists to his stat line on Saturday.

BY THE NUMBERS:

1 - Rebound and assist away from recording only the fourth triple-double in Kentucky basketball history was Ashton Hagans, who finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists.

11-0 - Kentucky's record when Nick Richards scores in double figures this season.

17 - Alabama points off 14 UK turnovers.

+19 - EJ Montgomery's team-leading plus/minus on the day. The sophomore forward had eight points and six rebounds.

20 - Seconds. Alabama's time with the lead in Saturday's game.

44-44 - Rebounding column wound up in a tie.

114-38 - UK's lead in the all-time series against the Crimson Tide.

1,000th - SEC win in program history for Kentucky.

QUOTABLE:

"Tough game. I mean, they’re one of the better teams in the country. They’re hard to score on, did a better job defensively on us than anyone all year." -- Alabama coach Nate Oats on the UK defensive effort.

UP NEXT:

Kentucky returns to action Wednesday at South Carolina in a 6:30 p.m. ET tipoff on the SEC Network. The Gamecocks (8-7, 0-2 SEC) lost 56-55 on Saturday at Tennessee.