By Nick Gray | Basketball beat writer

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UK had five players in double figures in points, turned the ball over seven times in the entire game and out-rebounded their opponent 48-31

But UK head coach John Calipari wants more from his team.

Freshman forward Julius Randle scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and freshman forward Marcus Lee scored 17 points in 15 minutes as UK beat the University of North Carolina at Asheville 89-57 on Friday in front of 22,413 in Rupp Arena.

None of those things in a 32-point victory in the season-opener did anything to change Calipari’s tune.

“We just stopped over and over. We didn’t play one possession defensively,” Calipari said. “We had a couple shot-clock (violations). But it’s what we have to do.”

Four freshman – guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison and James Young, along with Randle – started with sophomore forward Willie Cauley-Stein on Friday.

But the other Cats player with a double-double, and UK’s second-leading scorer, began the game on the bench.

Sophomore forward Alex Poythress posted a double-double Friday (10 points and 13 rebounds) after earning one double-double his freshman season.

Poythress’ 13 rebounds included six on the offensive glass off the bench, a season after he started 31 games.

“It gives you a little outlook,” Poythress said about beginning games on the bench. “You know how the game’s being played, how the refs are calling fouls. You can analyze the game better and when you get in you’ll know what to do.”

Lee scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, all of which came inside the painted area.

UK surged ahead 23-13 on an 11-0 run with 9:37 left in the first half, a chunk of which came after Cauley-Stein grabbed a rebound at the basket and dished the ball to Poythress, who finished with a two-handed dunk while being fouled.

After Poythress missed the free throw, Cauley-Stein grabbed the rebound and Young hit a three-point basket to push the Cats’ lead to 19-13, and UNC-Asheville did not got any closer.

Missing free throws were not limited to Poythress, as the Cats shot 17-for-31 from the free throw line in the first half, drawing gasps, groans and laughter from the Rupp Arena crowd.

“If we play the way we did, we want to get fouled, playing through bumps,” Calipari said. “You understand my guards (Young, Aaron Harrison and Andrew Harrison) went 12 for 21. How do I get you the ball late in the game?”

UK shot 62.5 percent from the free throw line (30-for-48) in the entire game, with Randle leading the team, hitting 11-of-13 foul shots.

52 total fouls were called and 69 total free throws were shot in each team’s first game under the new fouling rules instituted by the NCAA.

The Bulldogs briefly cut the lead to single digits early in the second half before the Cats stringed together a 19-8 run, marked by three offensive rebounds by Poythress, to push the lead to 60-42 with 12:30 left.

Randle and Poythress earned 28 of the team’s 48 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards. Calipari was still pushing for more on the glass from Randle after the game.

“He had 15 (rebounds), but he could have had 20, 21, 22 rebounds, so why not do that?” Calipari said. “Why not open up with a 20-20? Because when the shot went up, he stopped playing.”

The Cats will have one day to prepare for Northern Kentucky University at 4 p.m. on Sunday at Rupp Arena. Northern Kentucky led Purdue University on Friday with 13.4 seconds left before two made Purdue free throws gave the Boilermakers the 77-76 victory.