Vanderbilt Visits No. 9 Kentucky Looking For Eighth Consecutive Victory

Vanderbilt Visits No. 9 Kentucky Looking For Eighth Consecutive Victory

1/11/2005

Vanderbilt Visits No. 9 Kentucky Looking For Eighth Consecutive Victory

Vanderbilt (11-4, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) looks to extend its current winning streak to eight games when it visits No. 9 Kentucky on Wednesday, Jan. 12. The game tips at 6 p.m. CT and will be televised by Fox Sports Net South.

Game Notes

The Commodores take a corps of talented shooters into Rupp Arena leading the SEC in both 3-pointers per game (10.67) and 3-point shooting percentage (.440). Vanderbilt is coming off a school-record 18 3-pointers and 31 assists in its 88-63 win
at Tennessee on Saturday. The 18 3-pointers were the second most all-time in an SEC contest behind Kentucky’s 20 against LSU in 1995.

Vanderbilt is led by junior guard Mario Moore who was named SEC Player of the Week on Monday. Against Tennessee on Saturday, Moore (14.5 ppg, 3.7 apg) scored in double figures for the 14th time in 15 games this season, hitting five threepointers and scoring a game-high 18 points in the win. He also dished out seven assists without a turnover. Against then-No. 19 Alabama, Moore scored a game-high 18 points, including a trio of 3-pointers within 60 seconds late in the second half to help the Commodores extend their lead.

The victory in Knoxville marked Vanderbilt’s third SEC road win in its last four league games dating back to last season. The Commodores travel to Lexington 2-0 in league play for the first time since the 1989-90 season when they started 3-0.

Kentucky (10-2, 1-0 SEC) is coming off a 65-59 setback at home against No. 2 Kansas on Sunday. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak. Kelenna Azubuike led the Wildcats with 12 points and nine rebounds. Chuck Hayes added eight points and 12 rebounds.

Vanderbilt and Kentucky split a pair of meetings last season. UK won 75-63 in Lexington on Jan. 10. Vanderbilt defeated Kentucky 66-60 in Nashville on Jan. 31. A win Wednesday against the Wildcats would mark the Commodores’ first back-to-back victories in the series since claiming three in a row during the 1989 and 1990 seasons (two in Nashville and one in Knoxville at the 1989 SEC Tournament). VU’s last road win over a ranked opponent came against No. 7 Florida (63-61) in Gainesville on Jan. 20, 2001.

Kentucky holds a 126-36 advantage in the all-time series, including a 73-12 mark in Lexington.