Dontaie Allen seizes the moment. ‘Without him, we’re not in that game at all.’
After a Kentucky team starved for a victory defeated Mississippi State on Saturday night, Olivier Sarr succinctly summed up Dontaie Allen’s impact.
“Without him, we’re not in that game at all,” Sarr said.
Of course, Kentucky fans drew a similar conclusion for a season seemingly well on the way to being discarded long ago.
The 78-73 double-overtime road victory made the Big Blue Nation’s repeated calls for its favorite son to play — and shoot more — proved wise.
Allen made seven three-pointers, which were one shy of the most by a UK player in John Calipari’s 12 seasons. His 23 points were a season high for any UK player.
For a player who had logged less than 20 minutes of playing time in the first seven games, it prompted a postgame question: Did it feel surreal?
“It feels crazy …,” Allen acknowledged. “It came down to work. I know I say it a lot and it might sound (like a) cliché. If you put in the work, you can do some great things.”
His astounding performance, which included making eight of 13 shots (seven of 11 from three-point range), requires a player to “put all your mind and body and soul in it,” he said.
Allen’s scoring was not only abundant but timely. With UK clinging to a 71-70 lead in the second overtime, he made back-to-back baskets.
The first brought to mind stats savant Ken Pomeroy’s rating about luck. He had UK dead last in Division I. Allen banked in a jumper from the top of the key.
“I was, like, man, we’ve got to keep going to him,” Sarr said. “He cannot miss right now.”
On UK’s next possession, Allen swished a three-pointer to build a 76-70 lead with 2:29 left.
Kentucky, which played without Terrence Clarke (ankle) and Keion Brooks (calf), snapped a six-game losing streak, UK improved to 2-6 overall and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference.
When Calipari was ejected with 9:04 left and State made three of four technical free throws to build a 55-46 lead, Allen sparked an immediate rally. His three-pointers bookended a 10-0 run that put Kentucky ahead. It was the team’s first lead since the 5:51 mark of the first half.
A native of Pendleton County and a Kentucky Mr. Basketball winner, Allen acknowledged that saw him as the cure to what ailed a UK team that had lost six straight for only the fourth time in program history (and the second time since 1923).
“If I’m being honest, I don’t think it was pressure, only because I put in the work,” Allen said of fans’ calling for him to play more. “I didn’t know when my opportunity was going to come. Honestly, it could have come today, next week, next month. Nobody knows.
“So, I was just keeping my head down and just working hard. I’m thankful.”
Calipari, who earlier had advised freshman Cam’Ron Fletcher to take time away in order to put a greater priority on “we” than “me,” noticed how Allen quietly persevered while fans clamored on the player’s behalf.
“Dontaie’s attitude was so good,” Calipari said. “Never changed. Always a great kid. Coming in. Spending extra time. And now he’s had his chance.
“And, now all of Kentucky is going crazy. And, you know what, you can say, ‘Cal, you screwed this season up.’ Maybe I did.”
Calipari noted how Allen’s play enhanced his teammates’ performances.
“He changed us offensively because he spread the court,” the UK coach said.
With more room to operate around the basket, Sarr scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. This from a player who did not have a basket in the previous two games.
“The reason we couldn’t score was guys couldn’t make shots,” Calipari said in stating the obvious.
But Allen’s shot-making emboldened his teammates. Kentucky, which came into the game ranked 323rd in three-point baskets (4.3 per game), made a season-high 11.
“It becomes contagious,” Calipari said of Allen’s shooting.
Sarr said Allen’s starburst was no surprise.
“Every day in practice, we know Dontaie is a sharpshooter,” he said. “He’s a pure shooter. And we know he can do it. We always want him to shoot when he’s open.”
Calipari credited the scrimmage against Transylvania earlier in the week for helping Allen, who made six of 10 three-point shots in that game. The scrimmage “was big on momentum,” Allen said.
Kentucky fans can expect Allen to have more opportunities to ride this momentum.
After noting that talented teammates had made playing time difficult, Calipari said he told Allen, “You’re proving now, ‘they should be playing behind me.’”
Next game
Vanderbilt at Kentucky
7 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network)
This story was originally published January 2, 2021 at 10:40 PM.
