It is the same arena where Villanova shocked the basketball world by knocking off Patrick Ewing and Georgetown to win the NCAA Championship in 1985.

Some of the best basketball players in the game have played in that arena. David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins and Isaiah Thomas are all considered among the greats to have ever played the game and before they became NBA superstars they represented their own universities at Rupp Arena. With all the legendary talent that has stepped foot on that historic arena floor, none had a night like Sam Houston State's Corey Allmond.

The senior from Oxon Hill, Md., couldn't miss from outside on Thursday night, knocking down a Rupp Arena record 11 3-pointers in the Bearkats' 102-92 loss to Kentucky.

Allmond had a stretch in the first half where he knocked down three from long range in a span of a little more than a minute. In the opening 20 minutes alone, he connected on eight to keep the Kats in the game. The final one of the half was a double-clutch leaner over John Wall that he was still able to get to fall.

"I knew I was going to get a lot of open looks because of the way they play," Allmond said. "Their guards are long. John Wall was guarding me, and he got around the screen and contested it and I had to get it off because I was already in the air. It was just one of those nights. I knew after that I was going to have a big night. It kind of surprised me a little bit (that the shot went in.)"

Even with Kentucky head coach John Calipari stepping up the defensive pressure on Allmond in the second half, he still hit three more, setting not only the Rupp Arena record, but also a Sam Houston State and Southland Conference record for most 3-pointers in one game.

"He just came out and played his game," said Wall, who is considered one of the top freshman guards in the country. "They ran great plays for him and set perfect screens for him and we wanted to get out and put our hands up on him. We knew he was making shots and coach said in transition if we didn't get back they were going to find him, and they did."

Calipari, who has previously guided Memphis and Massachusetts teams to the Final Four, admitted one of the biggest mistakes of the night was leaving Allmond and the rest of the Bearkat shooters open in transition.

"We step up and take the guy dribbling and leave the best three-point shooter maybe in America tonight with no one on him," Calipari said. "That is what happened."

The significance of the moment was not lost on Allmond, who finished the night with a career-high 37 points.

"It's special because it's in Rupp Arena, but at the same time, we came in here to win. We didn't come here to lose," Allmond said. "We didn't come here to stay close. We came here to win, and that's what we wanted. It's kind of disappointing, but it's just like when you shoot - you miss a few and you've got to think about the next shot. We've got to think about the next game against Cleveland State, come up with a good game play and go out and get a win."

That game against Cleveland State will be Saturday in Cleveland. The Kats will then head to Cancun, Mexico, to finish out the Cancun Challenge where they will play Oral Roberts and either Rider or Florida A&M.