Immanuel Quickley and Ashton Hagans reminded the orange-and-black Georgetown College Tigers fans at Rupp Arena who’s house they were playing in.

The two Cats’ guards put on a show from start to finish, leading the Cats to an 80-53 victory on Sunday over the Tigers. Hagans finished the day with 14 points, talling game highs of six assists and four steals. Quickley led the Cats with 16 points – nine of those coming off of three-pointers. Had it been a regular season game, that would’ve bested his previous career high of 15. 

“On the court, it’s a slightly different swagger. Not arrogant, but just a different swagger coming out knowing that I can compete with anyone that I step on the floor with,” Quickley said.

The Cats wasted no time getting ahead with an 11-0 start before leading 21-4 nearly halfway through the first half. Quickley scored 12 points and his three treys on the day in that stretch. But after draining a three with 13:57 left in the first half, he was benched for Johnny Juzang and didn’t return until later in the half. 

Insert Ashton Hagans.

Hagans had a two fastbreak plays, a layup and a dunk, down the stretch for the remainder of the half. While Hagans had some flashes to start the game, there was one problem in front of him: Tigers’ guard Jake Ohmer.

Ohmer, who matched up with Hagans for most of the game, gave Hagans fits during the first half. He hit a series of driving layups and a three-pointer, while drawing fouls from Hagans that sent him to the line. That Ohmer a line of 15 points and 6-of-11 shooting from the field for the first half. 

Typically, Hagans is the one who “starts the trash talking,” as he laughingly admitted after Sunday’s game. But after Ohmer scored a three-pointer to open up a short-lived Georgetown run in the second half, Hagans let him know that he wasn’t having it.

“He got a foul and he was like, ‘That’s 18 points on your head.’ I said, ‘Ok.’ I like it. But then I told coach [Calipari], you know that’s my matchup. So, you know, he went with it,” Hagans said. “I was like, ‘Say no more.’ And, I just had to shut it down.”

Hagans, who scored six points in the first half, upped his game and scored eight in the second half. He had a pair of three-pointers and rebounds to go with another steal and limited Ohmer to just 10 points in the second half.  Ohmer admitted that Hagans stepped up his game.

“He was a real competitive player. He likes to get up in you and guard you. You just really had to make him think,” Ohmer said. “He was a tough defender to play against for sure.”

Hagans caught head coach John Calipari’s attention too. 

“Ashton [Hagans] can guard the ball. We’ve got to get other guys that can do it. The second thing Ashton did today is he touched the lane. Not just to shoot it,” Calipari said. “Like he drove it in there to get somebody a pass, and we have other guys, if they drive, that have one thought: I’m shooting it.” 

The pair will get back in action with a chance for a follow-up performance at Rupp Arena this Friday, November 1^st at 7 p.m. against the Kentucky State Thoroughbreds.