Wildcats Show Grit Down the Stretch to Win At Alabama
By J Bill Sosh
Kentucky Basketball survived foul trouble and a late Crimson Tide comeback in a 67-58 victory in Tuscaloosa
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Cats got a big SEC road win Saturday over Alabama. With the win, John Caliper and Kentucky Basketball improved to 20-5 for the season and 10-2 in conference play. On the same day that the Cats made a three point shot in their 1,000th straight game, they also made some big plays late to earn a hard-fought victory. Here’s a look at some of highlights.
First Half
Neither team scorched the nets in the first twenty minutes. Coach John Calipari’s squad shot a so-so, 41 percent from the field. But that looked good compared to Bama’s 32 percent. Similarly, the Cats shot a poor 3 for 8 from the free throw line. Not to be underdone, the Tide only connected on 3 of 11.
In an encouraging change, Kentucky focused more on getting the ball to Bam Adebayo via lobs for easy dunks and layups. The freshman big man struggled in the past few games getting the ball in the post with his back to the basket. The change in tactics today resulted in eight first half points. Fellow frosh Malik Monk also had eight points and notched that milestone shot from beyond the arc early in the half.
Second Half
Kentucky played some of their basketball of the past few weeks in the part of the second half. They built their lead up to 18 points. They continued to get good production from Adebayo and Monk. More importantly, they stifled the Tide on the other end of the floor. Bama only had 24 points for the game five minutes into the half.
Alabama chipped away at the lead, cutting the margin to 50-39 with 6:04 left. With Bam fouling out going for a defensive rebound, the lead eventually shrank to 50-43 with 4:42 remaining.
That’s when Isaiah Briscoe took over.
The sophomore from Newark, New Jersey scored seven straight points, starting with a tough contested layup while getting fouled, earning a trip to the line. He followed with a mid-range jumper, then another foul shot and a layup in transition. His play steadied the Cats, who led 57-51 after a Bama basket with 1:44 remaining.
Following a timeout came another big play. Kentucky freed Derek Willis on a “Pick and Pop” for a three that gave the Cats a 60-51 advantage. After an exchange of buckets Wenyen Gabriel created a steal and De’Aaron Fox took it all the way for a slam that put the game away.
Final Takeways
Isaiah Briscoe frustrates Kentucky fans in a lot of ways, but he is as tough as shoe leather. He notched a double-double today with 11 points and 11 rebounds. In a season that has featured inconsistent defense at best, he is the team’s best perimeter defender. The second year guard came through in the clutch when the Cats appeared to be slipping.
This week’s practice emphasis on defense must have included a few sessions on guarding the foul line. Alabama came in shooting 65 percent from the line for the season. They shot a miserable 35 percent on 9 of 26 today. That ineptitude from the charity stripe was a key factor in the Wildcat victory.
Bam Adebayo managed 14 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes before fouling out with six minutes left. His 4 for 4 performance on foul shots was very encouraging.
Malik Monk’s rebound drought is over. Barely. He snared one board today. That’ makes a grand total of one rebound in his last three games, covering 103 minutes of court time. The young man may be a threat to score anywhere on the floor, but he needs to contribute more on the glass. In the words of the great Randy Moss, C’MON MAN!
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All and all, this was a good win for the Cats. They had been reeling a bit in recent weeks and had a shaky moment or two late in this one. But road wins are tough to come by, especially during conference play. In the end they made plays when it counted. The Tennessee Volunteers are slated to make the trip to Rupp Arena on Tuesday night. Hopefully the Wildcats will avenge their loss of a couple of weeks ago in Knoxville. As a wise man once said, nothing sucks like a big orange.