Murray’s brilliance not enough in loss to Vanderbilt

When asked what most frustrated Coach John Calipari about Kentucky’s 74-62 loss at Vanderbilt on Saturday, Jamal Murray paused before answering. He seemed to be searching for a diplomatic response.

Teammate Marcus Lee, who sat next to Murray in the postgame news conference, ended the pregnant pause.

“‘Bigs’ not contributing,” he said.

When told of this assessment, Calipari suggested Lee understated the impact of UK’s big men.

“I don’t think they contributed anything,” Calipari said.

The overarching story of this Kentucky season showed itself at Vanderbilt. There’s the lack of a credible inside game. And there’s an abundance of backcourt brilliance.

Kentucky lost despite Murray scoring 33 points and because, as Calipari said, its forwards and centers did not contribute anything.

As a result, Kentucky fell into a tie for first place in the Southeastern Conference going into the final week. UK and Texas A&M, which won at Missouri, sit atop the standings at 11-5.

More ominously, the “bigs” continuing to come up small cast doubt on Kentucky’s postseason hopes.

“This was like an NCAA Tournament game,” Calipari said in a reference to the sizable presence of UK fans in a packed Memorial Gymnasium. “And it was like some guys didn’t ring the bell. Now, you become a little worried. Can they ring the bell?”

Lee credited Murray with giving Kentucky a chance to win.

“Even though we as ‘bigs’ played terrible in the first half, ‘Mal’ being ‘Mal,’ it put us in a great position at halftime.”

Murray came within two points of his career high (35 against Ohio State). With that boost, UK’s Three Tenors accounted for 54 of the team’s first 58 points.

But it wasn’t enough.

Alex Poythress, Skal Labissiere and Isaac Humphries all went scoreless. They combined for five rebounds. Lee scored nine points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots.

When asked the minimum acceptable contribution he’d want from the “bigs,” Calipari said, “Anything, right now. Just give us something. Give us a couple blocks. Give us a couple baskets. And they’re capable. …

“I wish I had the answer. I don’t.”

Vanderbilt, which sought a victory to bolster its chances at an NCAA Tournament bid, improved to 18-11 overall and 10-6 in the SEC.

Matthew Fisher-Davis led Vandy with 20 points, which equaled a career high. Of the Vandy “bigs,” Damian Jones scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Forward Luke Kornet, a Lexington native, had eight points and 11 rebounds. Jeff Roberson chipped in 16 points and eight rebounds.

Calipari suggested that Kentucky’s “bigs” shied from the challenge.

“The game got rough,” he said. “Either you relish that or you run from that.”

Earlier in the week, and not for the first time in recent days, Calipari said Murray had improved at making winning plays.

Murray made many in a 21-point first half. Along with Tyler Ulis and Isaiah Briscoe, the Three Tenors had a hand in all but two points as Kentucky took a 39-36 halftime lead.

The only exception was a tip-in by Lee at the 6:56 mark. Otherwise, Murray, Ulis or Briscoe either scored every UK point in the first half or set up a score with an assist.

Vandy stayed close thanks to Fisher-Davis, who scored 12 first-half points, and the absence of much production from any player other than Murray-Ulis-Briscoe.

Murray got off to a good start, scoring six of Kentucky’s first eight points. He scored two early three-pointers coming off screens set by Lee, a maneuver the two would revisit.

UK took its largest first-half lead on that play. Humphries failed to make contact on the screen, but Murray got free of Wade Baldwin IV and hit a three-pointer. That put the Cats ahead 38-30 with 2:21 left.

Murray, who made eight of 11 shots (four of five from three-point range), was exhausted and took a seat. He came into the game averaging the second-most minutes (35.9) in league play.

“Jamal carried us,” Calipari said, “and tried to the whole game.

“And that was it.”

Coincidentally or not, Kentucky scored only one Ulis free throw after Murray went to the bench. That helped Vandy close within 39-36 at halftime.

Vandy took the initiative early in the second half. Back-to-back three-pointers by Fisher-Davis put the Commodores ahead 51-47.

Facing its largest deficit, and with Murray starting to flip up lower-percentage shots, Kentucky called time with 14:36 left.

With the deficit at 58-56, Kentucky went more than three and one-half minutes without a point. During that time, Vandy scored seven points to go ahead 65-56 with 6:26 left.

Kentucky looked tired down the stretch. The Cats made only seven of 26 shots (two of 13 from three-point range) in the second half.

A sequence late in the game seem to haunt Calipari. With Kentucky trailing 68-62 inside the final four minutes, the Cats got the ball to Labissiere in the post. He missed a shot in the lane.

On the next trip downcourt, Ulis missed a layup, part of his 5-for-20 shooting night.

On the next possession, Ulis and Murray passed up shots. Briscoe took and missed a three-point attempt from the right corner, which became part of his 1-for-20 accuracy from outside the arc in the last 18 games.

“Well,” Calipari said, “you just lost the game on those plays.”

This story was originally published February 27, 2016 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Murray’s brilliance not enough in loss to Vanderbilt."