Role reversal rules in Kentucky basketball’s victory over Alabama
Alabama came into the game with the fourth-most prolific scoring offense in Division I basketball at 84.4 points per game. Fueling all that scoring was an average of 11.1 made three-point baskets per game, which was the nation’s third highest.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari spoke plainly about this threat.
“We’ve got to make six or seven (three-pointers) because they’re going to hook seven in,” Calipari said on Friday.
Meanwhile, Alabama’s first-year coach, Nate Oats, spoke of the difficulty his team would face extending its streak of five straight games scoring 90 or more points and making 10 or more three-point shots.
“I’m way more worried about figuring out how to score against them,” he said.
In a season filled with surprises, another one came at Rupp Arena on Saturday. Kentucky, which ranked No. 344 in threes per game (4.7), outshot Alabama. UK needed to in outlasting Alabama 76-67.
The victory was Kentucky’s 1000th in Southeastern Conference regular-season play. The Cats improved to 3-0 in the SEC this season.
A three-pointer — what else this day? — eased UK to its 12th victory in 15 games. Nursing a 71-67 lead, UK called timeout with 1:01 left. On the ensuing play, Immanuel Quickley inbounded the ball, took a return pass and swished a three-pointer.
Kentucky made nine of 15 three-point shots. That was one shy of the season-high 10 it made against Lamar.
Alabama, 8-7 overall and 1-2 in the SEC, made only four of its 21 three-point shots. The Tide’s previous season low total of threes was four (of 22) at Rhode Island.
Quickley led UK with 19 points. He made five of six three-point shots.
Ashton Hagans flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Nick Richards posted his seventh double-double of the season. He scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He also blocked five shots.
The first half began the game of role reversal.
Kentucky was the team hitting the three-point shots and scoring a lot of points. Alabama made only three three-pointers and left the court needing a big second half to end up scoring 90 or more points in a sixth straight game.
Kentucky was up 45-36 at the break. That marked the second-highest scoring first half of the season for UK. The Cats led Eastern Kentucky 46-25 at halftime in that Nov. 8 game.
Richards loomed large over the opening half. He scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked four shots.
UK did not get into a three-point shooting duel with Alabama. UK made an economical five of seven shots from beyond the arc. Sestina and Quickley each made the two three-point shots they attempted.
Meanwhile, Alabama made only three of 13 three-point shots in the first half. Alabama missed its first six three-point shots and didn’t connect from three until Jaylen Forbes (who came into the game 4-for-20 from three) hit from the left corner with 8:52 left.
Kentucky took the lead for good with 13:10 left in the half when Hagans made two free throws.
The first-half lead reached its zenith when Richards made a free throw to put UK ahead 45-32 with 29.9 seconds left.
Petty hit a high-arcing three from the top of key with 10.2 seconds to go to set the halftime score.
Kentucky expanded its lead to as much as 52-37 with Quickley hit a three-pointer with 17:09 left. That made UK six of eight from three.
Although Alabama kept missing its threes (three of 16 more with less than 12 minutes left), the Tide kept competing. A fast-break layup by Lewis reduced Kentucky’s lead to 55-48 with 12:21 left.
Kentucky went more than four minutes without a basket. That helped Alabama close within 59-54 heading into the final 7:32.
Alabama got as close as 63-60 with 5:02 left.
Then, continuing the irony of the game, Kentucky eased tension with a three-pointer by Quickley from the corner.
Next game
No. 14 Kentucky at South Carolina
6:30 p.m. Wednesday (SEC Network)
This story was originally published January 11, 2020 at 2:10 PM.
