Except for the win, little holds to form in UK’s victory over Tennessee State

Imagine celebrating Thanksgiving with an ice cream social, then swimming at the Woodland Park pool before shooting off fireworks.

Kentucky’s 77-62 victory over Tennessee State on Friday approached that kind of oddity.

Tennessee State, one of the early season’s most prolific three-point shooting teams, mostly kept its three-point shooters holstered. This despite UK’s last two opponents – VMI and Winthrop – making 32 of 66 three-point shots.

Tennessee State, which averaged the fifth-most three-pointers made in Division I (12.2 per game), had taken only six midway through the second half and finished with a season-low 16 attempts. This from a team that came in averaging 32.4 three-point shots per game.

And for much of the game, Kentucky somehow was being outscored in the paint by a team that started only one player taller than 6-foot-7. And that player – Stokley Chaffee – was hobbled by foul trouble.

Somehow, the teams ended up deadlocked 32-32 in points from the paint by game’s end.

Keldon Johnson, whose seven baskets all came from the paint, drove with authority all night. He finished with a career-high 27 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds.

Reid Travis added 13 points and nine rebounds for Kentucky, which improved to 5-1.

Tennessee State, which had been picked to finish last in the Ohio Valley Conference by Street & Smith’s, dropped to 2-4. Tripp Davis, who had been one of the nation’s most prolific three-point shooters, took only two shots. Both were three-pointers. He made both.

Kentucky showed why it was ranked No. 1 in percentage of missed shots rebounded on the offensive end according to stats maven Ken Pomeroy. But even there, Tennessee State was a bit of a surprise. The Tigers’ eight offensive rebounds midway through the second half marked more than any UK opponent had other than Duke.

The total of offensive rebounds grabbed by UK’s last four opponents was 20.

In the last three games, Kentucky had outscored its opponents in the paint by a total of 64 points (an average of 21.3).

Kentucky led the final nine minutes of the first half even though it made only one of 10 three-point shots.

Tennessee State, which ranked No. 347 in fouls, lived down to that expectation. Kentucky benefited from the Tigers’ 14 first-half fouls. UK made 16 of 20 to lead at halftime even though Tennessee State had one more basket (9-8).

Tennessee State, which ended up committing 29 fouls, did so at an even more rapid pace to start the second half. The Tigers picked up their seventh foul before the first television timeout. That meant Kentucky would shoot the one-and-one, then the double bonus in the final 15:36.

With Kentucky coming into the game having made the seventh most free throws of any Division I team, the 47-32 lead seemed to ensure victory.

Next game

Monmouth at No. 10 Kentucky

8:30 p.m. Wednesday (SEC Network)

This story was originally published November 23, 2018 at 9:29 PM.