Sunday, February 27, 2000
Kentucky 60, Arkansas 55
Wildcats can't shoot but win 20th
BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The calendar says crunch time. The standings suggest a championship chase. Yet Kentucky seems content to trudge toward a title. Its pursuit of the Southeastern Conference crown has been as joyless as jail time.
“We're not having a lot of fun,” junior point guard Saul Smith said. “When you're not playing well, it's hard to enjoy it. Even when you win.”
Think spinal taps, root canals and IRS audits. Those approximate the enjoyment the 18th-ranked Wildcats received from their 60-55 victory Saturday over visiting Arkansas.
UK's .352 shooting was the worst of its poor-shooting season. The Wildcats survived only because Arkansas freshman Blake Eddins missed a pair of wide-open 3-pointers in the last 51 seconds, either of which would have given his team the lead.
Yet with Alabama's upset of Tennessee, UK (20-8, 10-4 SEC) again controls its own fate. Victories Tuesday at Mississippi State and Saturday at home against Florida would clinch at least a share of the overall SEC title, which would be UK's 40th.
Of course, there's a sizeable slump to address first.
“We can be a better team than we've been playing,” senior center Jamaal Magloire said.
It already has been. Three weeks earlier, UK was riding the crest of a 13-1 run which had seen it surge from unranked to No. 11. Six straight subpar showings later — three losses, three unexpectedly close home victories — and the season seems to be sinking.
Poor shooting remains the culprit. UK made just 19-of-54 shots Saturday, lowering its season percentage to .418 — worst in the league and UK's worst in 37 seasons.
Arkansas (14-13, 6-8) camped out in a zone defense and let the Wildcats lay bricks. UK's 4-of-25 day from 3-point range (16 percent) lowered its season mark to .289.
What's wrong?
“We've been up and down all year long,” UK coach Tubby Smith said. “Until we shoot it more consistently, we're going to have to answer those questions.
“If we could get hot here the last few weeks, we could do a lot of damage because we play outstanding defense, we rebound the ball, we play unselfishly. We do all the things a good team does except make shots for a high percentage.”
Fortunately, defense continues to dazzle. Tubby Smith's three UK teams have recorded the three best defensive seasons in the school's last 38 seasons.
“It's like a monster. Everyone is expecting Kentucky to wake up and take over and (compete for) the national championship,” Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson said. “If they can make some shots, they'll be hard to beat.”
UK again needed inside muscle to save itself. It outrebounded Arkansas 45-28, with Magloire recording his third consecutive double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds).
Tayshaun Prince had a career-high 11 rebounds, and Keith Bogans added nine rebounds to his game-high 22 points.
Still, the subject swings back to shooting.
“We've been talking about that all season,” Prince said.
Said Bogans: “We've tried everything.”
The scouting report: Dare UK to win with bombs.
“Teams are going to play more and more zone,” Tubby Smith said. “We're going to see it all the time.”
UK also seeks consistency. Desmond Allison didn't get a point or rebound in 23 minutes, Prince struggled to score eight points, and Saul Smith had just two.
Prince, Allison, Smith and Jules Camara — four of UK's top six — shot a combined 5-for-26.
“We've got 20 wins,” Tubby Smith said. “That gives me a lot of hope.”
Streaky Allison comes up empty
UK in race for Princeton High Daniels
ARKANSAS (55)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Lane 13 2-2 0-0 0-0 0 5 4
Johnson 31 4-11 1-2 0-6 3 4 10
Dean 28 2-8 0-0 1-1 1 2 5
Eddins 29 4-8 1-2 1-4 1 3 12
Walker 33 3-8 0-0 0-1 2 1 7
Davis 6 0-2 0-0 1-1 0 1 0
Gipson 22 3-5 2-3 0-3 1 2 9
Gomez 6 0-2 0-0 1-2 0 0 0
Baker 24 2-5 0-0 1-6 0 5 6
Satchell 8 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 1 2
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 21-53 4-7 5-24 9 24 55
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.396, FT-.571. 3-Point Goals:
9-23, .391 (Johnson 1-3, Dean 1-2, Eddins 3-7,
Walker 1-4, Davis 0-1, Gipson 1-3, Baker 2-3).
Team rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 2 (Lane, Dean).
Turnovers: 10 (Johnson 5, Davis, Dean, Gipson,
Walker). Steals: 1 (Baker).
KENTUCKY (60)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Prince 33 3-9 1-4 3-11 2 0 8
Allison 23 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Magloire 33 4-9 7-10 7-12 0 3 15
Bogans 36 6-12 8-12 3-9 2 2 22
Smith 32 1-8 0-0 0-3 2 1 2
Blevins 25 3-6 0-0 0-0 3 3 7
Stone 6 1-1 0-0 1-1 0 0 2
Camara 12 1-8 2-6 6-7 1 0 4
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 19-54 18-32 20-43 10 10 60
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.352, FT-.563. 3-Point Goals:
4-25, .160 (Prince 1-7, Allison 0-1, Bogans 2-7,
Smith 0-7, Blevins 1-3). Team rebounds: 2.
Blocked shots: 2 (Magloire 2). Turnovers: 10
(Smith 3, Bogans 2, Magloire 2, Allison,
Blevins). Steals: 2 (Allison, Bogans).
__________________________________
Arkansas 27 28 - 55
Kentucky 28 32 - 60
__________________________________
Technical fouls: None. A: 22,308. Officials:
Curtis Shaw, Michael Stewart, Orlandis Poole.
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