No Wheeler and Washington problematic, but Hopkins steps up for UK against LSU
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Game day: No. 6 Kentucky 71, LSU 66
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Wednesday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and LSU in Rupp Arena.
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Defeating Alabama despite the absence of Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington on Saturday inspired salutes to Kentucky’s depth and resilience.
Among those saluting was LSU Coach Will Wade.
When asked Tuesday about the prospect of Wheeler and Washington not playing against LSU on Wednesday, he spoke of Davion Mintz as “a tremendous player” and Kellan Grady as “a phenomenal player.”
Kentucky has “plenty of very, very good players, older players, talented players,” Wade said. “Whoever they put out there, they’re at Kentucky for a reason.”
Then Wednesday’s game against LSU, a 71-66 UK victory in Rupp Arena, served as a reminder that playing without Wheeler and Washington could present problems. Without its point guard tandem, Kentucky had only five fast-break points. UK also made just two three-point shots, one being banked in by Jacob Toppin.
Kentucky stumbled to the finish line against LSU’s pressure defense. UK finished with three assists and 12 turnovers.
The problem-solver was — believe it or not — freshman Bryce Hopkins.
After having gone scoreless and playing only six minutes since Jan. 25, Hopkins sparked Kentucky to the victory.
Hopkins scored a much-needed 13 points, all in a second half that followed Kentucky’s uninspiring first half. He had scored only 14 points since Kentucky’s victory over North Carolina on Dec. 15.
With Oscar Tshiebwe posting his 10th straight double-double (and 22nd of the season), Kentucky improved to 23-5 overall and 12-3 in the Southeastern Conference. The latter kept UK only a game behind first-place Auburn, which defeated Ole Miss on Wednesday.
Tshiebwe finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
LSU fell to 19-9 overall and 7-8 in the SEC. Sixth man Tari Eason fouled out with 9:27 left after scoring five points. That snapped a streak of 11 straight games in double figures and marked only the fourth game in which Eason failed to score 10 or more points.
Kentucky did not have a three-point basket nor a fast-break basket in the first half. That led to UK’s lowest-scoring opening 20 minutes of the season as LSU led 31-23 at halftime.
Kentucky missed its five three-point shots. The poor shooting included air balls from the foul line by Dontaie Allen and Jacob Toppin.
Unlike Alabama on Saturday, Kentucky’s opponent did not get off to a blazing start. UK’s chances of a victory seemed enhanced when Tshiebwe drew two fouls on LSU’s starting center, Efton Reid, inside the first three minutes. Reid’s backup, Eason, fouled Tshiebwe on a putback with 15:22 left.
With LSU missing its first four shots, UK took a 4-0 lead that seemed would expand given the visitors’ foul trouble. UK was eligible for the one-and-one with 7:40 left and the double bonus with 5:22 left.
Yet, 4-0 turned out to be Kentucky’s largest lead of the first half.
LSU took the lead for good at 8-6 on a fast-break layup by Xavier Pinson with 16:35 left. UK’s deficit grew to as much as 27-16.
Kentucky had only two baskets in the final 10:30 of the half. UK made eight of 24 shots before the break.
Kentucky’s first three-pointer, by Mintz, helped close the deficit to 36-34 at the first television timeout of the second half. Hopkins contributed a foul-line jumper and two free throws to the rally. Those were Hopkins’ first points since Jan. 25.
He wasn’t finished. His basket on a drive tied it at 36-36. Then Hopkins gave Kentucky its first lead since 6-3 with a putback while being fouled. The three-point play put Kentucky ahead 39-36.
Hopkins still wasn’t finished. He pulled up for a jumper that put Kentucky ahead 43-38. That meant he had scored 11 of UK’s last 15 points. It prompted a LSU timeout with 13:48 left.
Kentucky led by as much as 14 with barely two minutes left. But it still wasn’t easy.
UK committed three turnovers inside the final 77 seconds. Twice the Cats had to call timeouts with 3.7 seconds left because an inbounds pass could not be made.
Next game
No. 6 Kentucky at No. 18 Arkansas
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
TV: CBS-27
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 11:40 PM.
