Date story published: Wednesday, February 16, 1994

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Kentucky beat Louisiana State 99-95 last night in a game as wild and improbable as the Cats' new pajama-like shorts.

Walter McCarty swished a three-pointer from the left corner with 19 seconds left to cap an unbelievable Kentucky comeback.

The Cats trailed by 31 with 15:34 left.

It was the greatest comeback in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.

Kentucky erased Duke from the record book. Duke rallied from a 29-point halftime deficit to beat Tulane 74-72 on Dec. 30, 1950.

"I've coached 200 NBA games and about 16 years of college," UK Coach Rick Pitino said. "I've never, ever seen a comeback -- on the road -- like that in my life."

Pitino counseled patience at halftime. Playing "possession by possession" might erode LSU's 48-32 halftime lead, he said.

When LSU extended the lead to 68-37 at the 15:34 mark, the Cats changed their objective.

"My stories were over with," Pitino said. "I just wanted to make it respectable and not lose our confidence."

Kentucky got angry. "When they went up 31, I got the team together and said we're not leaving the building without a win," UK point guard Travis Ford said. "We'll stay all night."

LSU got happy. "Anybody does," Ford said. "Everyone relaxes."

The combination made for one of the most improbable thrillers in many a season.

Three-pointers put UK way behind. The Cats rode three-point shooting in their comeback.

Jeff Brassow hit four three-pointers in the rally.

Chris Harrison, the last man on the team, hit two.

UK hit four three-pointers in the final 2:30 to finish the whirlwind. The Cats scored 62 points in the final 15 minutes.

McCarty hit the fourth three-pointer. He hit from the left corner with 19 seconds left to give UK a 96-95 lead.

"I heard the coach say shoot it," said McCarty, who led UK with 23 points. "I didn't have time to think about it."

Ford sealed the victory with two free throws with 2.2 seconds left.

UK improved to 19-5 overall and 8-3 in the Southeastern Conference.

LSU fell to 11-10 and 5-7.

The Tigers were left to ponder what-if. What if they had made more than 13 of 24 free throws in the final 12 minutes.

The first half ended with McCarty shooting two free throws. The clock showed 0:00.

After McCarty missed his first, Pitino did not stay to see the second attempt. The UK coach walked off the court and headed for the safety of the locker room.

It was that kind of half for Kentucky.

The best team this night -- to that point -- dominated the half. That team was not Kentucky.

One team rained a demoralizing collection of three-pointers on the opponent. Again, that team was not Kentucky.

McCarty's second free throw made a small, seemingly insignificant dent in a rousing first half for LSU. The Tigers rode nine three-pointers to a stunning 48-32 lead.

Freshman guard Ronnie Henderson led the assault. He made five of the treys. Three came in a breathtaking 61-second span that put UK on its collective heels. The one-man blitz also brought the crowd to a roar.

Henderson's fourth -- in Jared Prickett's face -- put LSU ahead 37-25. His fifth -- in Rodrick Rhodes' face -- established the Tigers' largest lead, 46-25, with 2:26.

By then, the Cats were in a familiar mode. Kentucky forgot about Pitino's preaching of execution. Instead, UK rushed three-point attempts.

Only one went in. It was slumping point guard Travis Ford's only basket of the half.

The Cats were lucky to only be down 16 at the break. LSU got caught up in the onslaught and rushed frantically to pile on more points. In their haste, the Tigers did not get off a shot after Henderson's fifth three-pointer. Their last five possessions yielded four turnovers and Henderson's two free throws.

The half did not begin well for Kentucky. The Cats fell behind 7-1 in the first four minutes.

Clarence Ceasar did the early gunning for LSU. He scored eight of his 16 first-half points inside the first seven minutes.

McCarty and senior Gimel Martinez kept Kentucky from a total embarrassment.

McCarty, looking more comfortable now that he's on the perimeter, scored 11 first-half points. He hadn't scored in double figures in a month (11 against Tennessee Jan. 15), and had shot 2-of-11 the last four games.

McCarty had UK's first basket off an offensive set. He hit a three-pointer as a trailer on the fast break. It came with 14:26 left.

Until then, the Cats had only one basket: a tip-in by Andre Riddick.

Martinez used crafty moves inside to counter Henderson for a while. About the time when Henderson hit three three-pointers in 61 seconds, Martinez scored eight straight points for UK, and 10 of 12.

The problem was Martinez fell off. Henderson kept going for a 22-point half. Twenty of his points came in the last 8:36.

The result was big problems for Kentucky.

Relief did not come early in the second half. Tony Delk opened the half with a three-pointer. It was his first basket of the game.

But two Ceasar jumpers more than answered. The second, a three-pointer, put LSU ahead 57-37 and prompted a Kentucky time with 17:22 left.

Things only got worse. UK turned the ball over trying to feed inside. A wild scramble for the loose ball spilled over the center line. Henderson saved to Ceasar who fed Andre Owens.

Ford took out his frustration by grabbing Owens around the shoulders. LSU got five points off the intentional foul. Owens hit two free throws and Jamie Brandon swished a three-pointer despite being floored by Martinez.

When Rhodes rushed a three-pointer, Pitino called another timeout with 16:39 left. LSU led 62-37.

The LSU lead grew to as much as 68-37.

Kentucky mounted a comeback. LSU helped by getting happy and trying to rush up shots.