Big second half carries No. 2 Auburn past Cats
Auburn's Walker Kessler battled Kentucky forward Keion Brooks for a rebound in Saturday's game. (John Reed/USA Today Sports)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
Kentucky's showdown with No. 2 Auburn left the Wildcats disappointed but not disheartened.
The Tigers shot 59% as part of a 51-point second half to come from behind for an 80-71 win over No. 12 Kentucky on Saturday at Auburn Arena in a battle for first place in the SEC standings.
Kentucky (15,4, 5-2 SEC) led by as many as 10 points in the first half but lost TyTy Washington when the star freshman rolled his ankle with just over eight minutes remaining and never returned to the game.
Missing their second-leading scorer and top overall playmaker, the Cats could not maintain the lead. Things went from bad to worse when starting point guard Sahvir Wheeler seemed to re-aggravate the neck injury he sustained on Jan. 4 at LSU after running into a hard screen and left the game for almost five minutes.
"That hurt us," UK head coach Calipari said of the injury woes. "But no excuses. We had our chances to win."
The latter occurred as Auburn made a 26-12 run to seize control of the game. The Tigers had six three-point trips during the decisive stretch, including a pair of treys by Wendell Green Jr. and a trio of players who knocked down three straight free throws after being fouled beyond the arc.
Kentucky had a 12-4 run to cut the margin to 68-64 with 3:20 remaining, but the Cats could draw no closer. The Tigers made eight of 10 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Free-throw opportunities proved to be a major factor in the game. Bruce Pearl's squad cashed in on 24 of 29 attempts, while Kentucky was eight of 10.
Auburn (18-1, 7-0 SEC) got 19 points from sophomore center Walker Kessler, followed by 17 from sophomore guard K.D. Johnson. Freshman phenom Jabari Smith added 14, and Green gave the Tigers a fourth player in double figures at 11.
Grad senior guard Kellen Grady and Wheeler each scored 17 points to lead Kentucky. Junior center/forward Oscar Tshiebwe added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Cats, who lost despite shooting 50% from the field, 40% from the arc, and 80% at the line.
"There was good stuff that we did," Calipari said. "But we had some breakdowns defensively, and they shot a higher percentage (56.8) than most anybody has shot against us this year."
Grady said it reminded him of the Cats' 65-60 loss at LSU when they played most of the game without Wheeler but still had a chance to win.
"It was a winnable game," Grady said. "I think we should have won the game, but they made more plays, crucial plays, big shots, a couple of rebounds at vital moments...
"We hope to see them again."
*****
In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK loss...
KEY MOMENT:
Kentucky had maintained a lead the entire game until the 14:50 mark of the second half. Clinging to a 40-38 advantage, the Cats' Jacob Toppin was called for a foul on a 3-point attempt by Auburn's Jabari Smith. He made all three to give the Tigers their first lead. Over the next eight minutes, UK would do that two more times, leading to nine made free throws for Auburn as part of a 26-12 run to take control of the game.
GAME BALL:
Walker Kessler, Auburn -- The 7-foot-1 center was a major headache for the UK defense when it helped on dribble penetration. The North Carolina transfer had seven dunks as part of his 19-point performance. He also chipped in seven rebounds and two blocked shots while altering several other UK attempts around the basket.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1st - Loss of the season for Kentucky when shooting 50% or better. The Cats were 29 of 58 from the field.
13th - Loss for UK under John Calipari in 313 games when leading by at least 10 points.
27-26 - Auburn advantage on the glass, making UK 0-3 this season when losing or tying the rebound column.
56.8% - Field goal percentage by Auburn, the highest by a UK opponent this season.
96-23 - The Cats' lead in the all-time series with the Tigers, including 31-18 at Auburn. But Auburn has won the last three on its home floor.
QUOTABLE:
"You learn from it. You don't win a championship in January... We want to be our best in March." -- UK guard Kellen Grady
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (12-5, 3-2 SEC) were playing Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff for the Cats and Bulldogs is 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
