Turnovers, poor FT shooting doom the Kentucky basketball team
By Drew Koch
The Kentucky basketball team lost in the Sweet Sixteen to the Kansas State Wildcats. Kentucky had 15 turnovers and shot 62% from the free throw line.
The Kentucky Wildcats lost in the Sweet Sixteen to Kansas State 58-61. The Wildcats had 15 turnovers and shot 62% from the free throw line. PJ Washington had a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds, but missed 12 free throws.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, normally a very reliable ball handler, had 5 turnovers, was 2-of-10 from the field and failed to get to the foul line after halftime. Kansas State hit 9-of-22 from three-point range, and were led by Xavier Sneed with 22 points. There was a total of 51 fouls in the game.
First Half
Kansas State got off to a hot start, scoring the first 7 points of the game, and led the Cats 13-1 early. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander converted two free throws and Kevin Knox turned defense into offense with a fast-break layup, closing UK’s deficit to 8 points before the first TV timeout. Kentucky was 1-of-8 from the field to start the game.
Quade Green knocked down a three-pointer to bring the Kentucky basketball team within 3. An absolutely horrendous foul call against Wenyen Gabriel sent KSU’s Dean Wade to the free throw line. Wade scored his first points of the tournament after sitting the previous 2 games with an ankle injury.
PJ Washington went to work midway through the half, converting an and-1 and a dunk, bringing the Cats within two points at 15-17. Hamidou Diallo, with 2 fouls, checked back into the game with 8:36 left after Green picked up his second personal foul. Gabriel, Knox and Green all had 2 fouls in the first half and Diallo had 3.
Diallo limped off the floor late in the half with an apparent ankle injury, but returned before the first half ended. There were 26 fouls in the first half. The Kentucky basketball team had 23 free throw attempts and K-State had 16. Kentucky trailed KSU at halftime 29-33.
Second Half
The Cats started the second half with a 7-2 run, punctuated by a Quade Green three-pointer, giving UK their first lead of the game at 36-35. Kansas State took the lead back, and a technical foul on John Calipari led to a 12-2 run and KSU taking a 9-point lead.
The Cats got within 4, but K-State got their lead back to 8. Washington got to the line, converted 1-of-2, and UK trailed 45-52. Diallo banked in a mid-range hook shot, and Washington attacked the offensive glass. After 2 made free throws, Kentucky trailed 49-52.
Knox drilled his first triple of the NCAA Tournament, and Kentucky trailed 52-54. The Cats grabbed the lead back after a Gilgeous-Alexander finger roll. K-State regained a 1-point lead, but Washington regained the lead for the Kentucky basketball team with 1:32 left.
Two free throws by KSU put them back up by 1. K-State fouled PJ Washington again and sent the big fella to the line for his 19th and 20th foul shot. He missed the first, but made the second and tied the game at 58. K-State converted a layup, Green missed a jump shot and K-State knocked through 1-of-2 free throws giving KSU a 3-point lead. Gilgeous-Alexander missed a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer, and Kentucky fell to the Kansas State Wildcats.