Kentucky is 2-1 on the season and Lafayette is 1-2.
This was the first meeting between the two schools.
UK is now 9-1 all-time against teams from the current alignment of the Patriot League.
Now in its 110th season of men’s basketball, Kentucky has a 94-16 record in home openers.
UK continues its three-game homestand Wed. Nov. 21 when the Wildcats play host to Morehead. The game is at 7 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports South.
After a turnover on Kentucky’s first possession, the Wildcats scored on their next five possessions for a 13-7 lead.
Wiltjer opened the barrage with a pair of 3-pointers, followed by another triple by Mays, a dunk by Poythress and a jumper by Wiltjer.
Kentucky led by as many as 24 points in the first half, 48-24, when Mays scored with 2:20 remaining.
Jarrod Polson made his first career 3-pointer with 53 seconds on the clock and UK went into halftime with a 51-31 advantage.
Second-Half Story
The teams battled evenly for several minutes as UK led by 23 points, 62-39, with 12:42 to go.
Over the next 11 ½ minutes, Kentucky went on a 39-2 run for a 101-41 lead.
Lafayette scored the last eight points of the game to make the final 101-49.
Team Notes
UK’s 101 points are the first game over the century mark since the Wildcats opened the 2011-12 season with a 108-58 win over Marist.
Kentucky shot 64.5 percent from the field, the team’s best percentage since Nov. 28, 2008 when the Wildcats shot 68.8 percent vs. Kansas State.
Kentucky had 15 steals, most since March 4, 2009 when the Cats had 16 thefts vs. Georgia.
Lafayette had 28 turnovers, most for a Wildcat opponent since Dec. 22, 2004, when William and Mary accumulated 32 miscues.
Kentucky has won 52-straight home games, including 51-0 in Rupp Arena under Coach John Calipari. It is the longest win streak in Rupp Arena history.
Individual Notes
Kyle Wiltjer led all scorers with 23 points, including a career-high seven 3-pointers.
It was the second 20-point game of his career, one less than his career best of 24 last season vs. Loyola.
Alex Poythress had 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting. He became the first Wildcat to have consecutive 20-point outings since Doron Lamb last season vs. Indiana and Chattanooga.
Nerlens Noel had an excellent all-around game with 15 points, a game-high seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Willie Cauley-Stein had a season-best 14 points, his first double-figure game as a Wildcat.
Julius Mays had five points and a career-high 10 assists.
Jarrod Polson tallied seven points, his second-best game as a Cat, including his first UK 3-pointer. He also had three assists, tying his career high, and had a career-best two steals.
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