‘It showed us how good we can be.’ Has Kentucky found a new way to play?

The combination of a late start and icy weather resulted in a noticeable number of empty seats for Kentucky’s game against North Dakota on Wednesday night. In maybe a first for a UK home game, individual hand claps could be discerned in the oh-so-quiet confines of Rupp Arena.

Fittingly, a Kentucky defense that had been questioned throughout the preseason and into the first two games, put the quietus on North Dakota. UK doubled its total of six steals in the season’s first two games in overwhelming North Dakota 96-58.

Freshman Tyler Herro led the way with five steals, which was three shy of a Rupp Arena record (eight by Rajon Rondo against Mississippi State on Feb. 19, 2005). Overall, Kentucky had 12 steals.

Predictably, UK Coach John Calipari saw room for improvement. “But I liked the fact that we turned somebody over finally,” he said. “That I’ve gone back to old school. Here’s how we’re doing this.”

The defense produced opportunities to score in transition. And Tuesday’s talk of returning to “old school” basketball seemed to be reflected in a renewed attention to seek points from the low post.

The team identity that Calipari suggested would be evident surely included more aggressive defense, which he goosed with more trapping.

“First time we ever did it,” PJ Washington said with a can-you-believe-that smile across his face. “It kind of worked well.”

The Cats had not rehearsed trapping even in practice. “No, never,” Washington said. “He (Calipari) just told me one time, ‘Go, PJ!’ I just went, trapped the dude and we got a turnover.

“We just kept doing it from there.”

The aggressive approach also showed itself on the boards where Kentucky had a 45-15 advantage. UK had more offensive rebounds (19) than North Dakota had total rebounds.

A larger crowd surely would have roared its approval. The Cats could have plausibly assumed the relative quiet reflected fan contentment.

“It showed us how good we can be, I mean on the defensive end, for sure,” Washington said of Kentucky’s smothering of North Dakota. “We have a lot to work on, obviously. But it’s a process, and we’re still working on it. And we’re going to get there.

“We just got a little bit of a taste of it tonight.”

Washington led the offense with a career-high 25 points. Showing the kind of improved perimeter game requested by the NBA during his flirtation with this year’s draft, he also hit a career-high four three-point baskets and took a career-high five shots from behind the arc.

Herro added 18 points (or four more than he scored in the first two games).

The highest-scoring first half of the young season propelled Kentucky to a 46-25 lead at intermission. But even with the Cats making more than half their shots (14 of 27), offense may not have been the story of the opening 20 minutes.

It could have been argued that defense made the key difference in the first half. Kentucky had seven steals, which was one more than UK had in the first two games combined. The Cats matched the six previous steals with 4:55 left. Quade Green stole a pass coming from a trapped North Dakota player. Trapping, which seemed like a new wrinkle, contributed to other steals in the half.

The third of Herro’s three steals in the half was UK’s seventh. Again, Kentucky converted it into points as Herro drove to a breakaway dunk.

“Just anticipation,” said Herro, who had one steal in UK’s first two games. “Watching film. Going over plays that they run.”

All the aggressive defense — Kentucky held North Dakota to 33.3-percent shooting (9-of-27) — did not result in fouls. UK had only five fouls in the first half with at least three coming on the offensive end: illegal screens by Washington and Nick Richards and a charge by Richards.

North Dakota evoked memories of Kentucky’s 14-turnover first half against Southern Illinois last week. The Fighting Hawks had 13 turnovers before halftime, and finished the game with 20.

Kentucky, which improved to 2-1, began the second half with more of the same. Herro ripped the ball from a North Dakota player and raced to a breakaway dunk.

Two possessions later, Herro’s swipe caused a North Dakota player to lose his grip on the ball. Herro converted with a three-pointer in transition that put Kentucky ahead 57-32.

North Dakota called timeout with 16:07 left.

It didn’t stem the tide nor blunt Kentucky’s defensive activity.