LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Since joining the Southeastern Conference four years ago, Texas A&M has co-starred with Kentucky in some of the most compelling basketball the league has had to offer.
The history of competitive basketball emboldened Texas A&M going into Tuesday's game in Rupp Arena.
"We expect to go and play well," A&M Coach Billy Kennedy said on Monday. "We've played well against Kentucky. We expect to go and play well. And we expect to give ourselves a chance to win. I think our guys, I don't think they're afraid.
"But," he added, "it'll be our first true road game for guys that are starting for us who haven't been in that situation."
On Tuesday night in Rupp Arena, Texas A&M committed a season-high 25 turnovers, which allowed Kentucky to feast on its signature transition game. It was the most turnovers by a UK opponent since Stephen F. Austin had 28 in the season opener.
As a result, Kentucky sped to a 100-58 victory.
UK enjoyed a 35-2 advantage in points off turnovers in rolling up its second-biggest margin of victory over a SEC opponent since 2003. Only an 86-37 rout of Missouri in 2015 was more lopsided.
The chances of Kentucky and Texas A&M extending their streak of compelling competition (the last three games in the series went into overtime) faded fast.
"They're the fastest team in the country going from defense to offense," Kennedy said of the Cats. "So we've got to get back. That's what concerns me. Them beating us down the floor. ... They're one of the fastest-paced teams in the country."
UK looked the part. Malik Monk led the Cats with 26 points. De'Aaron Fox added 15, Isaiah Briscoe had 13 and Bam Adebayo had 10.
Kentucky could hardly have gotten off to a better start. A&M could hardly have gotten off to a poorer start.
Turnovers played a big role in how both teams started. A&M, which had hoped to limit UK's transition game by limiting its turnovers, did not achieve their goal.
The Aggies committed turnovers on six straight trips downcourt inside the first four minutes.
Kentucky continued to feast on such generosity. Monk's layup off the sixth turnover put UK ahead 15-3 and prompted an A&M timeout with 16:02 left. The Aggies could not wait for the television timeout.
A&M, which ranked No. 22 in the nation with an average of only 11.8 turnovers, had 15 in the first half. The Aggies looked like a team in search of point guard play.
Meanwhile, Kentucky rolled up a 21-2 advantage in points off turnovers and a 50-27 lead on the scoreboard.
Davis went to the bench with his second foul at the 11:23 mark. But with UK leading by as much as 23 points in the first half, A&M couldn't keep its leading scorer on the bench.
Kentucky, which made 56.7 percent of its shots in the first half, kept its shooting shoes on in the second half.
Briscoe led the way. He hit his second and third 3-pointers of the game inside the first five minutes.
That pointed UK toward a victory all but assured an hour earlier.
