Cats power through Bulldogs
December 5, 2012
By Tom Hurley | @TomHurleyKernel
Playing in its first home game since losing for the first time at Rupp Arena under head coach John Calipari, UK responded in style Tuesday night with a 32-point win over Samford.
Bulldogs sophomore guard Connor Miller’s foul on freshman forward Alex Poythress 15 seconds into the game was a sign of things to come, as the Cats dominated from the start.
“I never envisioned my team coming out and playing like they did in the first half,” said Samford head coach Bennie Seltzer. “I thought we were spooked from the beginning.”
The low shooting percentage and weak defense displayed against Notre Dame and Baylor were a thing of the past as UK powered past their lesser opponents.
Blocks from freshman center Nerlens Noel, combined with strong shooting from Poythress and freshman guard Archie Goodwin — along with five turnovers by the visitors — helped the Cats hold a 12-2 lead eight minutes into the game.
It took Samford four minutes to get on the scoreboard, finding itself down 12-3 after turning the ball over four times to the hungry home defense.
Calipari kept on top of his players as they eased into a 30-point lead after 15 minutes.
Mistakes on both the defensive and offensive ends resulted in a game of musical chairs for Calipari, who rolled through substitutions.
“We got a couple guys that can literally play three minutes at a time, right now,” Calipari said.
The demand of high level play from Calipari contributed to 24 points off turnovers for the home squad as Samford failed to find a way past the home defense, not reaching double figures until nearly 16 minutes into the game.
Samford dropped its zone defense for man-on-man coverage, but that did little to stem the tide as the Cats bullied their way to a 31-point halftime advantage.
Poythress and Noel both shot 100 percent in the first half, combining for 24 points, while sophomore forward Kyle Wiltjer grabbed six rebounds as his shooting troubles continued.
UK came out flat after the break, allowing Samford to begin the half with a 9-0 run, led by sophomore guard Raijon Kelly, cutting the lead to 22.
“We came out the second half, we did not talk, no talking, we’re back at where we were the last two games,” Calipari said.
Defensive lapses continued early in the second half, with Calipari roaring at Wiltjer after one Bulldog got free for an easy bucket.
“We need to work on not giving up on any play, regardless of the score.” Wiltjer said.
The strong play of freshman forward Willie Cauley-Stein, part of a double-double performance, soon helped UK return to its first half dominance.
Blocks, energy, solid ball movement and strong shooting from the home squad enabled the Cats to cruise toward the final buzzer and an 88-56 win.
Goodwin led UK with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Poythress finished with 16 points. Noel finished with 13 points, with Wiltjer and graduate student guard Julius Mays both adding 10 points apiece.
Sophomore guard Ryan Harrow, coming off the bench, was 1-2 from the field with four assists in 21 minutes of action.
