Key Highlights
- It’s not the officials, it’s not Kentucky, we will foul the living shit out of you.
- You describe the foul, the team I’m coaching will commit it,” Miller said. Count Swain in that group for Miller after fouling out in 36 minutes, a blemish on an otherwise sensational performance during which he was often the best player on the court, going 10-of-16 shooting from the floor and making all seven of his free-throw attempts while adding six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Another massive issue for the Horns?
- The two made threes by Swain on six attempts were the only connections from deep for Texas — the rest of the team missed all 12 of their attempts, including six by senior guard Jordan Pope, who finished with eight points of 2-of-9 shooting and zero assists in a minus-13 performance that remains too typical for the Oregon State transfer. Graduate guard Tramon Mark finished minus-20 in his 26 minutes. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith Kentucky making five triples on 27.8-percent shooting from three, the Wildcats finished the game plus-12 in scoring beyond the arc. The short Texas rotation was even shorter in Lexington when junior forward Cam Heide was a late scratch due to illness, pushing junior guard Simeon Wilcher into the starting lineup for the first time as a Longhorn.
- Wilcher responded by scoring two points in 26 minutes. With Texas head coach Sean Miller initially declining to insert sophomore forward Nic Codie into the rotation, it meant more frequent three-guard lineups or using graduate forward Lassina Traore and sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis together, a rare combination for the Horns this season. By the under-12 timeout in the first half, Kentucky led 14-13 with both teams 6-of-15 shooting in a cold start, but despite the poor shooting for Texas, the Longhorns were able to get into the bonus when Vokietaitis drew a foul on a post up with 9:13 remaining. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPerhaps the biggest offensive problem for Miller’s team was the way in which the Wildcats turned three steals into six fast-break points by the under-eight timeout, a significant differentiator in the 23-23 tie as Kentucky mounted an 8-2 edge in transition.
- Vokietaitis and Swain played key roles in the Longhorns maintaining contact with the Wildcats in combining for 17 of the team’s first 23 points. The runouts continued for Kentucky with a throw-ahead dunk that forced a timeout by Miller with 6:10 remaining and the Wildcats up 30-25. Less than two minutes later, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope used his own use-it-or-lose-it timeout in the midst of a 7-0 run keyed by Texas suddenly getting out on the break as graduate guard Tramon Mark turned a defensive rebound by Swain into a transition layup and Wilcher threw down a dunk after a steal by Swain, who also hit a pullup three after seven Longhorn misses from distance to open the game. The dunk by Wilcher broke a streak of 13 missed shots dating back to the Alabama game. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKentucky was able to end that run, but Texas was able to get to the rim, with Swain finishing at the bucket after a spin move and Pope pushing the pace to convert a tough left-handed layup in traff.