Postgame notes from a tough night in Tuscaloosa

 Kentucky is now 18-9 overall, 7-7 in the Southeastern Conference. Alabama is now 22-5 overall, 11-3 in the league.
 Kentucky leads the series, 117-43, including 32-27 in Tuscaloosa.
 Mark Pope is 205-117 as head coach, including 18-9 at Kentucky.
 Kentucky rounds out a two-game road swing at Oklahoma on Feb. 26 at 9 p.m. ET. The game will air on SEC Network.

Team Notes

 Alabama entered the game as the No. 1 scoring offense in the country at 90.6 points per game, while Kentucky entered at No. 3 at 85.8 points per game
 Alabama shot 52 percent from the field, UK is 1-4 this year when allowing opponents to shoot over 50 percent
 UK is now 7-2 against AP Top-15 opponents this season, both losses coming to Alabama
 Kentucky had 13 steals in the contest, the team’s most in an SEC game this season and tied for the second most by the Wildcats across all games in 2024-25
 With Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson and Kerr Kriisa out tonight, UK has played only seven games this season at full strength.
 
Player Notes  

 Amari Williams had 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes
o It was his ninth double-double of the year, seventh in SEC play
o Williams has now scored at least 17 points in three consecutive games, the first time he has done so in his collegiate career
o Williams is up to 81 assists on the season, a school record for a 7-footer (previous was Sam Bowie with 66 in 1983-84).
o The 17-11-6 game is the first by a 7-footer in the SEC since at least 1996-97 and the second nationally against a top-25 opponent during that time.
The other player to record that line against a top-25 opponent was Akolda Manyang at Utah Valley against Duke on Nov. 11, 2017. Mark Pope was the head coach at Utah Valley at the time
o Williams is the first Kentucky player with at least 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists since Jack Givens at Alabama on Jan. 29, 1977
 Koby Brea finished with 20 points, his fourth game with at least 20 points this year and the seventh of his college career
o Brea was 4-10 from 3-point range, it is his sixth game with at least four made 3s this season

 Andrew Carr had 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He was 3-of-5 from deep, his most made threes this season and tied for the most in his college career
o Carr was a team-best +11 in the contest
 Collin Chandler had multiple steals for the second consecutive game and scored five points
 Travis Perry set new career-highs with 12 points and four steals

In the First Half

 Kentucky’s starters were Travis Perry, Koby Brea, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams, UK is 1-1 with this starting lineup
 Collin Chandler and Brandon Garrison were UK’s first substitutions at 16:29.
 Kentucky led 16-9 at the first media timeout, thanks in part to eight points by Andrew Carr in the first 4:41 of game time
 UK stretched the lead to 20-9, before a 7-0 run by Alabama made the score 20-18 at the under 12 media timeout
 After Kentucky took its largest lead at 30-18, Alabama went on a 15-2 run to regain the advantage, 33-32 with 5:07 remaining in the opening stanza
 Alabama led 47-40 at the intermission
o Brea led the Wildcats with 11 first-half points
o UK is now 3-8 this season when trailing at halftime

In the Second Half