UK staved off Alabama, again and again and again, for a 77-71 win.

This game tested UK’s ability to play a full 40 minutes, something players have recently talked about needing to do better. UK had a slim advantage for the vast majority of the game — its largest lead was 8 points in the middle of the first half — and any time the Cats stretched its lead and looked like it was about to go on a game-busting run, Alabama hit a big shot to answer.

So the Cats couldn’t let up, couldn’t wilt.

Not with Alabama sinking nearly everything it could throw up, making 65 percent of its shots in the second half.

That extended to the 3-point line, where — predictably, for Calipari, who always expects teams to outdo their season averages against UK — Alabama made 5 of 7 (71.4 percent) after entering the game last in the SEC at 26.9 percent.

“Every time we play a game, team we play against makes shot we know they don’t make,” Doron Lamb said. “That team did that today. We knew that and didn’t pay it no mind.”

UK countered in an unusual way. It wasn’t Anthony Davis (11 points, 9 rebounds) and/or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (13 points, 6 rebounds) who dragged UK to victory.

“Anthony was not the same guy,” Calipari said, “and neither was Michael.”

Instead of monster games from a few, UK got solid games from everyone. Six players scored in double figures, ranging from 10 points to 15 points, the first time that’s happened at UK since Feb. 19, 2005.

“That’s pretty impressive,” Alabama coach Anthony Grant said.

Even more important, UK turned around a poor first-half performance from the free-throw line (it made 4 of 11) to secure the win. UK’s final 15 points all came on free throws, and UK made all eight of its attempts inside the final minute.

“I trust anyone at the line,” Davis said.

The constantly slim lead made for a less comfortable and less assured win, but it also forced UK to play as if its lead was about to slip away.

It never did.

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