Saturday, November 20, 1999
Kentucky 56, Utah 48
Wildcats advance to NIT semis
BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Rick Majerus asked for this matchup. In the end, Tubby Smith couldn't have asked for much more.
A late-season atmosphere permeated the Preseason NIT Friday night in Kentucky's rousing 56-48 victory over Utah. With Smith seeking seasoning for his young team, willing a win was just what the Wildcats wanted.
“Experience is the best teacher,” the UK coach said. “It was nice to have a March-type intensity and get a win. We'll grow up a lot from this game.”
It wasn't brilliant basketball, but certainly a pressure performance. Tied with four minutes left, the 14th-ranked Wildcats again made the clutch plays to doom Majerus' team.
Same as it had in the 1998 NCAA final. And in the Elite Eight in 1997.
UK is 5-0 against Utah since 1993.
“I don't keep track of losses,” Majerus said. “A loss is a loss. We could lose to Transylvania and I'd feel terrible. ... But I wish something good could happen to me in Kentucky.”
UK (2-0) advances to face Maryland (2-0) in an NIT semifinal Wednesday at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Majerus had been given the choice of which NIT bracket to enter, and he picked UK's. The 16th-ranked Utes, playing without All-American candidate Hanno Mottola — out with a torn knee ligament — used their deliberate, ball-control offense to again take UK to the wire.
Execution made the difference. The Wildcats committed just seven turnovers while forcing 18 by Utah. They had seven steals, blocked five shots and won the rebounding battle.
And in the final minutes, they surprised even themselves.
“I was shocked the way we picked it up and collaborated,” senior center Jamaal Magloire said. “The way we played defense impressed me.”
With 4:30 to play, Utah (1-1) had possession in a tie game. But the Utes' final seven possessions resulted in three turn overs, four missed shots and just one basket.
Marvin Stone hit a free throw, then Jamaal Magloire made one, and UK led 48-46. Then came two huge plays: Saul Smith stripped Utah's Tony Harvey, raced downcourt and sank a 6-foot jumper. After Utah answered, Desmond Allison hit a 15-foot turnaround shot with just three seconds on the shot clock.
With was 52-48 with a minute left. After UK forced Jeff Johnsen to travel, it made four free throws to ice it.
“That showed the character of this team: making free throws, big defensive stops,” Saul Smith said. “This type of game was the best thing that could happen to us. It's a great early indicator to tell us where we are.”
Utah used five 3-pointers to take an early 19-14 lead, but UK held it to 1-of-12 shooting from the perimeter thereafter. When Utah's Alex Jensen started finding seams to drive for second-half layups, the Wildcats shifted their defense and halted him the final nine minutes.
“Kentucky is a heck of a team,” Majerus said. “We had some good looks but we were a little unnerved by Kentucky's pressure and athleticism.”
Highlights: Saul Smith totaled seven points, four steals, three assists and just one turnover. Magloire had 15 points and four blocks. And Stone, the precocious freshman, had five points, five rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes.
The one glaring concern: 3-point shooting. UK was just 1-of-10 Friday, connecting on Jules Camara's bomb 21/2 minutes into the game.
UK barely kept alive its streak of making at least one 3-pointer in 376 consecutive games, dating back to a loss to Seton Hall on Nov. 26, 1988.
“If they can consistently hit the outside shot, they'll be tough,” Majerus said.
Majerus on UK: 'Terrific'
UTAH (48)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Cullen 18 0-3 0-0 0-1 1 2 0
Jensen 39 4-8 1-2 3-9 3 3 10
Althoff 28 2-6 0-0 2-6 0 4 4
Harvey 33 2-10 5-5 0-6 3 3 10
Killion 35 6-8 0-0 0-1 1 1 15
Whiting 19 2-4 0-0 0-2 1 0 5
Johnson 23 2-5 0-0 1-2 1 2 4
Puzey 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 18-44 6-7 6-27 10 17 48
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.409, FT-.857. 3-Point Goals:
6-20, .300 (Cullen 0-3, Jensen 1-5, Harvey 1-5,
Killion 3-4, Whiting 1-3). Team rebounds: 3.
Blocked shots: 1 (Althoff). Turnovers: 18 (Harvey
4, Althoff 3, Jensen 3, Killion 3, Cullen 2,
Johnson 2). Steals: 4 (Harvey, Jensen, Johnson,
Whiting).
KENTUCKY (56)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Prince 37 4-7 3-4 2-7 1 0 11
Camara 22 4-10 0-0 0-5 1 2 9
Magloire 31 6-13 3-8 1-2 1 2 15
Smith 34 2-3 3-4 0-0 3 0 7
Allison 21 2-3 1-2 0-2 2 3 5
Blevins 7 0-1 0-0 0-1 1 1 0
Knight 9 1-3 0-1 2-2 0 1 2
Bogans 11 1-4 0-0 0-1 0 0 2
Tackett 8 0-1 0-0 1-1 0 0 0
Stone 20 2-6 1-2 3-5 2 1 5
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 22-51 11-21 9-26 11 10 56
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.431, FT-.524. 3-Point Goals:
1-10, .100 (Prince 0-1, Camara 1-5, Smith 0-1,
Allison 0-1, Blevins 0-1, Bogans 0-1). Team
rebounds: 5. Blocked shots: 5 (Magloire 4,
Prince). Turnovers: 7 (Prince 4, Blevins, Camara,
Smith). Steals: 7 (Smith 4, Bogans 2, Allison).
__________________________________
Utah 26 22 - 48
Kentucky 31 25 - 56
__________________________________
Technical fouls: None. A: 22,833. Officials: Tom
Clark, Jd Collins, Mike Sanzere.
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