By David Schuh | Men’s basketball columnist

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Good teams win in spite of themselves. They win ugly games, they win physical games, they win when nothing goes right.

UK isn’t as good as it’ll be in March, but the Cats 74-66 win over the University of Tennessee on Saturday showed they’re well on their way.

The game was ugly from start to finish — one that this team typically would have the propensity to lose.

They were dominated on the glass. Tennessee outrebounded UK 39-24. The Volunteers had seven more offensive rebounds in the first half than the Cats’ had defensive rebounds.

It wasn’t close, but somehow, with its greatest asset taken away, UK maintained a lead.

And it was the offense that picked up the slack.

Freshman forward Julius Randle was the story of the first half. He had 16 points at the break, but could manage just two free throws in the second. Freshman guard Andrew Harrison took it from there, finishing with the best game of his career.

The oft-criticized point guard ran the team like head coach John Calipari has been expecting him to, finishing with 26 points and zero turnovers. He took control of the second half when Randle couldn’t get open looks, a sign of the team’s overall offensive capabilities.

“When you talk about talented teams, something has to give at some point,” Tennessee head coach Cuonzo Martin said about how his team defended UK.

From start to finish, the Cats struggled in areas they normally excel and thrived where they have fallen short. They were nearly perfect from the free throw line (23-24). They had their fourth-best 3-point shooting game of the season (7-16).

They’ve won games with rebounding alone. So when that aspect was taken out completely, something else had to click to turn the tide.

Harrison did that in the second half. As he continued to get into the lane, finish at the rim and hit free throws, the Cats’ lead swelled. He made the right play, which is just what Calipari has been asking for.

In a game that will probably be its most physical of the season, UK found other ways to exploit its opponent. They couldn’t pound the paint on offense. They couldn’t add scoring on second-chance points.

For once, the offense had to be efficient in order to win. And it was, turning in its best performance of the season.

UK still has flaws. The Cats have yet to play well in every facet this season. They haven’t really given a team their very best punch. But each game we’ve seen a different part. When those parts merge, Calipari will see a team that has put it all together.

They haven’t done that yet, but they got another part right on Saturday. Maybe by March, they’ll look like the finished product.