‘We still believe we’re a good team.’ Kentucky gets much-needed win vs. LSU.
Fans watching Kentucky play Saturday might have rubbed their eyes to make sure it wasn’t a mirage. Or given thanks for arriving at the oasis that was an 82-69 victory over LSU.
Kentucky hit threes, at least for a while. UK limited turnovers. UK shared the ball.
After heartache losses at Auburn and Georgia in the last two games, defeating LSU was sweet.
“We needed to win a game,” UK Coach John Calipari said. “I mean, I’m still disgusted over the last couple (games). Literally disgusted. … Now, we’re going to play the best team in our league.”
That would be Tuesday’s game at Alabama, which remained undefeated in Southeastern Conference play by defeating Mississippi State on Saturday night.
Kentucky, 5-9 overall and 4-3 in the Southeastern Conference, was not perfect against LSU. After making five of its first eight three-point shots, UK made only two of its final 18.
And Calipari was especially aggrieved when this week’s Brandon Boston revival included another ill-advised flip shot in another near-perfect first half for Kentucky.
“I went crazy,” said Calipari, before then adding in a coaching voice directed at Boston, “you’re not going back to that guy. That guy has left the building.”
Boston got the message.
“When I did that, he lost it,” Boston said with a smile. “I just listened to him.”
Calipari’s message might have been all too familiar. Share the ball. Make the easy play. Hustle. Play with desperation. But the UK coach said winning makes for a good teaching tool.
“I was trying to hold them accountable,” he said. “Thank goodness I could do it while we were winning. … Now, I can really make a point of things.”
Hardly anything went wrong in the first half. Nothing to prevent Kentucky from posting its highest-scoring half of the season.
UK led 49-36 at halftime. That topped the 45 points scored in the first half against Morehead State in the season’s opening game.
With its customary stout defense continuing, Kentucky twice led by as many as 16 points.
Kentucky opened the game with a who-are-these-guys flurry. UK made its first three three-pointers and had five at the 11:13 mark.
That might have evoked LSU memories of Alabama making a SEC record 23 in beating the Tigers by 30 earlier in the week.
Incidentally, Kentucky was on pace to make 22.2 in the game. The five early threes (in the first eight attempts) were as many as UK had made in nine previous games.
The sudden sharp-shooting included a three by Boston, who had made only seven of 43 shots from beyond the arc going into the game. He added another in the second half when LSU had closed to within 56-51.
“I always envisioned myself being the guy to do everything I can to help my team win,” said Boston, who matched the 18 points he scored at Georgia on Wednesday.
When asked what had prompted his sudden surge, Boston said, “I would just say my work ethic (and) staying humble, keeping my head down and staying level-headed.”
Or as teammate Lance Ware put it, “I’ve just seen him work his butt off.”
UK’s early flurry of three-pointers also included one by Keion Brooks, who had made only one of seven going into the game. He equaled a career-high of 15 points.
A Kentucky team that ranked 311th among Division I teams in assist-to-turnover ratio, had more of the former than the latter for only the fifth time (and the third time since Dec. 12). The Cats had 15 assists and nine turnovers.
That ratio was 13-4 in the first half. The 13 assists were more than Kentucky had in eight previous games. Of the Cats’ first 13 baskets, 10 included credit for an assist (several on lobs converted into dunks).
The nine turnovers were fewer than UK had in every game except committing two against Vanderbilt.
Calipari liked that several of the turnovers resulted in dead balls, thus preventing LSU from cashing in with transition baskets. At least two were shot-block violations and at least one a charge.
Another departure from form came late. For a change, there was no possession-by-possession tenseness. UK led by double digits for about nine of the final 11 minutes. That included the final 5:34.
Ware, who contributed seven points and two rebounds off the bench, suggested UK made a statement with the 5-for-8 three-point shooting to start the game.
“We still believe we’re a good team,” he said. “Some people might have other beliefs. … We still believe that we can still do this thing. …
“We didn’t give up. We still believe in ourselves.”
Next game
Kentucky at Alabama
7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN)
