Restart? Reboot? Kentucky basketball’s latest loss more of a replay
Restart? Reboot?
Amid such talk, Kentucky looked little different for a half at Missouri on Wednesday night.
But a big second half set up a replay: Another test of UK’s ability to execute inside the final four minutes … or what John Calipari calls “winning time.”
Kentucky’s 75-70 loss was a painful replay. That was true in more ways than one. Only the second Missouri victory over Kentucky came on same date as the first: Feb. 3. UK lost 69-60 in Columbia on that date in 2018.
Trailing 68-65 with barely four minutes left in this one, UK missed the front end of a one-and-one and committed three turnovers in the next two minutes.
Missouri got a pull-up jumper by Mark Smith, then Dru Smith made four of four free throws to take a 74-65 lead with 2:05 left.
Kentucky closed to within 74-70 and had a chance to get closer. But Keion Brooks missed a three-point shot, which caused ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes to question why Davion Mintz did not take the shot for a much-needed basket.
Mintz made four of nine threes and led UK with 18 points. Brooks and Brandon Boston added 10 each.
UK fell to 5-11 overall and 4-5 in the Southeastern Conference. UK lost a fourth straight league road game for only the sixth time.
Missouri improved to 12-3 overall and 5-3 in the SEC. Dru Smith led the Tigers with a game-high 26 points.
Kentucky never led in the first half and trailed 40-27 at the break. Tilmon was not to blame for an all-too-familiar scenario for UK this season. He made only two shots and finished the half with five points and three rebounds.
The surprise was Missouri making seven of 11 three-point shots in the first half. The Tigers came into the game ranked 297th in Division I in three-point accuracy (30.1 percent) and had averaged only 6.2 three-point baskets per game.
Kentucky fell behind for good with 16:54 left in the first half when Tilmon made a layup.
At that point, UK had more lane violations on Missouri free-throw attempts (two) than baskets (one).
The half saw Cam’Ron Fletcher get in a game for the first time since playing two minutes against North Carolina on Dec. 19. He had not played in the nine games since then. He only played one minute in the half.
Making only one of its first nine shots put Kentucky in comeback mode.
Trailing 17-8, back-to-back baskets by Brooks brought the Cats within 17-13. UK got no closer.
Perhaps foreboding (or at least an earlier-than-usual repeat of its struggles in the final minutes), Kentucky did not have a basket inside the final five minutes of the half. In that span, UK missed its four shots and committed three turnovers as Missouri closed the half on a 6-0 mini-run.
Fittingly, a tip-in with 7.2 seconds left set Missouri’s halftime lead. The Tigers outscored UK 11-0 in second-chance points.
UK had trailed at halftime by a larger margin only once this season: down 48-26 to Notre Dame. The Cats had a 2-6 record in games when they trailed at halftime.
Kentucky scored the first eight points of the second half. Plus, Tilmon picked up his second and third fouls inside the first 54 seconds.
With its lead trimmed to 40-35, Missouri called timeout with 17:58 left.
Kentucky got as close at 43-42 when Brandon Boston hit a three-pointer in transition with 14:39 left.
With Tilmon back in the game, Missouri did not wilt. UK helped with turnovers on the next two possessions. When Missouri opened up a 51-45 lead, UK could not wait for the under-12 television timeout and called a timeout with 11:37 left.
Olivier Sarr turned it over on the next possession. Worse, he picked up his fourth foul trying to retrieve the ball and went to the bench with 11:28 left.
Missouri widened its lead to 60-51.
Sarr’s third three-pointer of the season brought Kentucky within 67-63. Then 18 seconds later, Sarr fouled out.
The next two minutes saw neither team take charge. Missouri went scoreless with two turnovers. Jackson missed the front end of a one-and-one to set up yet another one-possession game to be decided in the final four minutes.
Next game
No. 11 Tennessee at Kentucky
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
TV: ESPN
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 9:29 PM.
