Winning while learning: UK’s defeat of Louisville comes with a bonus

With the intent of accentuating the positive, Kentucky Coach John Calipari likes to boil games down not to winning or losing. He prefers the bottom-line options of winning or learning.

UK’s 71-58 victory at Louisville on Saturday offered an optimal variation on the theme: Winning AND learning.

With Tyler Herro scoring a career-high 24 points, Kentucky played arguably its most complete game of the young season. Speaking of young, Keldon Johnson added 15 and Ashton Hagans 11, which meant the freshman trio accounted for 50 of UK’s points.

But freshmen being freshmen, the victory was not seamless.

“It’s all inexperience,” Herro said of Calipari’s message to the team about the ongoing learning process. “It was our first road game. And I thought we played well. There’s always things to improve on.”

Herro loomed large on both accounts.

On the winning side, his 10-for-13 shooting (four of six from three-point range) propelled Kentucky’s offense. The Cats looked more cohesive while making 50.9 percent of their shots and committing nine turnovers (only the second game with single-digit turnovers).

“Tyler’s just got that swagger ...,” Hagans said. “He’s a hard worker. Probably he’s working out the most. Early in the morning. If we’ve got a break between classes, he’s in the gym. After practice he’s working at night. He’s just a hard worker and he loves the game of basketball.”

On the learning side, Herro took an ill-timed three-point shot in the final seconds of the first half. UK led 35-25 and the shot clock turned off. Perhaps fueled by what Calipari has called “beer muscles,” Herro missed. He had made six of his previous seven shots.

“One of the coaches said shoot it,” Herro said. “Then the other said there was still five seconds left. ... Everybody thought it was going in, so they stopped playing and then (Louisville) got a dunk on the other end.”

Louisville had just enough time to race down the court and get a fast-break dunk by Jordan Nwora. Herro nearly compounded his mistake in judgment by contesting Nwora’s dunk. Fortunately for UK, no foul was called. It was U of L’s only fast-break points of the first half.

“That’s an experience we learned from,” Herro said.

Asked what he learned from the sequence, Herro said, “I think there was still five seconds on the clock. Maybe (take the shot with) three or two seconds on the clock so they don’t get a chance to score on the other end.”

When asked what Herro could learn from the end of the first half, Calipari was succinct. “He doesn’t do it again,” the UK coach said.

Calipari also mentioned how Hagans was trash-talking a Louisville player. That’s a no-no, especially in a hotly competitive game.

“You just have to know you can’t do that!” Calipari said. “Well, they don’t know. They think they’re playing a pickup game and you said something to me. Yeah. Well, wait a minute. I hate to tell you I go through this every year. It just ages me more the last couple years.”

Kentucky (10-2) took the lead for good with 13:37 remaining in the first half and led 35-27 at the break.

As with the North Carolina game a week earlier, UK played inspired defense. The Cats also looked more coordinated on offense than in any game this season.

This combination of all-around play propelled Kentucky to a 31-17 lead with 6:06 left in the first half. A post-up basket by PJ Washington capped a 15-2 run that gave the Cats a 14-point lead.

A change of fortunes marked play down the stretch. The fast-break dunk capped a 10-4 mini-run by Louisville.

Kentucky took the initiative early in the second half. The Cats repeatedly got 50/50 balls and there were plenty of those with Louisville making only three of its first 17 second-half shots.

Two pretty passes by Washington netted baskets, the second a fast-break dunk by Johnson that put UK ahead 47-35 with 13:02 left.

Kentucky’s lead never dropped to single digits the final 14 minutes.

While Herro’s shooting led Kentucky, Calipari noted how the freshman also contributed five rebounds and two steals (each more than he’d had in eight of UK’s previous games).

That answered a question Calipari said he’s asked Herro and Johnson: How can you help the team when you’re not making shots?

“I feel like ever since I got here, my game has gotten more complete,” Herro said. “As far as being on the defensive end. Rebounding. Getting steals. Anticipating. Things like that.”

Next game

No. 16 Kentucky at Alabama

1 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)

This story was originally published December 29, 2018 at 6:42 PM.