|
 Arkansas went 16-for-16 from the foul line, making six in
overtime, and the Razorbacks swept the season series with a 71-67
overtime win over Wildcats.
It was the first time in John Calipari's five years as Wildcats
coach that he lost both regular-season matchups to a Southeastern
Conference team.
"I knew it was going to take an outstanding performance, especially
defense," Anderson said. "That is all we talked about. We talk about
not getting annihilated on the glass, and we did that for a period.
Fatigue was not a factor, and we were ready to get on the loose
ball."
The Wildcats went on a 14-2 run to take a 57-52 lead with less than
five minutes to play in regulation, but their physical style did not
wear down a stout Arkansas frontcourt. The Wildcats were unable to
get to the foul line with their usual frequency, and poor shooting
once they got there aided the Razorbacks' ability to recover.
Kentucky only made one of its four free throws in the final three
minutes of regulation, and the Wildcats finished 12-for-22 from the
line.
"They beat us to loose balls, we missed 10 one-foot shots. We missed
all the free throws that mattered," Calipari said. "We had a lead
late, we're leaving timeouts and not executing. We took two steps
back today."
Arkansas guard Rashad Madden made two free throws with 29.6 seconds
left in regulation to tie the score at 60.
Kentucky point guard Andrew Harrison held for the final shot and
drove to the basket, but he was blocked. Arkansas got a shot at the
other end, but forward Alandise Harris' 30-foot heave as time
expired hit the front of the rim, sending the game to overtime.
"There's not much you can do about it," Kentucky center Willie
Cauley-Stein said. "There's no reason to sulk in it, just remember
the feeling. It's getting too close to crunch time. You can't dwell
on it and then do the same thing the next game because you're
thinking about the last one. Next thing you know, you're way too far
behind, and there's no return from that."
Arkansas' first basket of the game was a bit of deja vu. After
forward Bobby Portis stole the ball from Kentucky forward James
Young 10 seconds in, Razorbacks guard Fred Gulley missed a jumper.
Arkansas power forward Michael Qualls followed the shot with a
tip-in.
[to top of second column] |
Arkansas topped Kentucky 87-85 in their first meeting on Jan. 14
when Qualls' put-back dunk in the final second won the game in
overtime.
The Wildcats got into an offensive rhythm early in the second
meeting, scoring seven straight points and taking their largest lead
of the first half at 11-7 with 15:16 to play.
Kentucky's offense then went cold, and Arkansas became energized.
The Razorbacks, known for their fast-paced offense, scored nine
straight points in a span of two minutes and led by as many as 12
points as the first half progressed.
Kentucky struggled with physical play in the paint and had trouble
finishing around the basket despite grabbing 13 offensive rebounds
before intermission.
With one second left in the half, forward Julius Randle completed a
three-point play to bring the Wildcats' deficit to 37-30 at the
break.
Anderson was a longtime assistant at Arkansas under legendary coach
Nolan Richardson, and he was on Richardson's bench the only other
two times the Razorbacks have won at Rupp Arena: in 1992 and in
1994.
His win as the head coach Thursday is a big one for a team still
fighting for a chance to get in the NCAA Tournament.
"It was a big game. Every game is a big game," Anderson said. "I
have had the opportunity to be in this building quite a few times.
Many times, we went away and really got smoked. We were pretty good
tonight, and time ran out on Kentucky. It has been 20 years since
Arkansas won a game here. I guess you can look at other teams, and
it's been a while for them to win here, too."
NOTES: Arkansas' previous win at Rupp Arena came on Feb. 9, 1994.
Before Thursday night, the Razorbacks had won only twice at Rupp
Arena since joining the Southeastern Conference in 1991. ... John
Calipari is now 82-4 at home as the Kentucky coach. ... The Wildcats
play at South Carolina on Saturday. The Razorbacks return home to
face Georgia on Saturday.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
