Kentucky forward Alex Poythress (22) drives between Vanderbilt defenders Kedren Johnson, left, and Josh Henderson (40) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
By TERESA M. WALKER, AP Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Kyle Wiltjer’s jumper with 1:57 left put Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats kicked off their Southeastern Conference schedule Thursday night by holding off Vanderbilt 60-58 after blowing a 16-point lead.
The Wildcats (10-4) also seemed to get a bit of help from officials in the final seconds.
Nerlen Noel hit a jumper with 17.3 seconds left that went in after the shot clock buzzer went off, and Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings took a timeout to plead his case. Officials didn’t review the play. Kedren Johnson made a 3 with 7.6 seconds left to pull Vandy within 60-58, and Kyle Fuller stole the inbound pass with 6.7 seconds to go giving Vandy a last chance.
But Johnson’s 3 hit the rim just before the buzzer as the rally fell short for Vanderbilt (6-7).
Ryan Harrow led Kentucky with 16 points, Noel had 13 and Archie Goodwin 12.
Johnson finished with a game-high 18 points, and Rod Odom added 12 as Vanderbilt outrebounded Kentucky 42-37.
This was a rematch of the SEC tournament championship game that Vanderbilt won last March for its first such title in 61 years. Wiltjer is one of only five players combined on the rosters left from that game, and all the youth is why neither team was ranked in this game for the first time since Feb. 17, 2009.
Kentucky coach John Calipari started his latest crop of freshmen for a second straight game, and the Wildcats looked good in taking the lead from the opening bucket and leading 35-24 at halftime. Vanderbilt had won six of the previous nine games against Kentucky in Memorial Gym, and the Commodores finally stymied Kentucky when they went to a zone defense.
The Wildcats missed 12 straight shots from the floor. Vanderbilt took advantage, trailing 47-31 with 13:48 left when Sheldon Jeter hit a jumper to start an 18-0 run.
Shelby Moats hit a 3, and Dai-Jon Parker added a 3 to get the Commodores rolling. Kentucky went cold too, missing 12 straight shots from the floor. Johnson’s driving layup tied it up at 47, and Jeter’s dunk capped the run and gave Vanderbilt its first lead of the game at 49-47 with 6:11 left.
The teams swapped the lead twice with three ties down the stretch. Johnson’s bucket for Vandy tied it for the last time at 54, then Wiltjer’s long jumper put Kentucky ahead to stay to set up the frantic ending.
Kentucky won its SEC opener for the 23rd time in 26 seasons, improving to 62-18 all-time.
All the practice since Kentucky’s easy 90-38 win over Eastern Michigan sure paid off early. Harrow hit a 3-pointer within the first 90 seconds, and the Wildcats dominated Vanderbilt early.
Vanderbilt came in scoring 37.3 percent of its points off 3-pointers, and the Commodores missed their first 10. Their shooting woes extended all over the court as they also missed easy layups when they did get close enough to the basket to shoot. Kentucky disrupted them repeatedly, blocking six shots alone in the first half.
The Commodores didn’t hit a 3 until 1:22 remained in the first half when Johnson hit from beyond the arc, and Odom added another just before halftime. Vanderbilt wound up hitting 8 of 30 from 3-point range.
KENTUCKY (10-4): Noel 6-8 1-2 13, Cauley-Stein 3-5 1-3 7, Poythress 2-3 3-4 7, Goodwin 5-14 2-4 12, Harrow 6-13 2-2 16, Polson 0-0 0-0 0, Wiltjer 1-5 0-0 2, Mays 1-5 0-0 3. Totals 24-53 9-15 60.
VANDERBILT (6-7): Odom 3-16 4-7 12, Henderson 0-3 0-0 0, Johnson 8-19 0-1 18, Fuller 3-7 0-0 7, Bright 0-4 0-0 0, Jeter 2-6 0-0 4, Parker 3-8 0-0 8, Moats 4-7 0-0 9. Totals 23-70 4-8 58.
Halftime_Kentucky 35-24. 3-Point Goals_Kentucky 3-17 (Harrow 2-5, Mays 1-5, Poythress 0-1, Wiltjer 0-2, Goodwin 0-4), Vanderbilt 8-30 (Parker 2-5, Odom 2-9, Johnson 2-9, Moats 1-1, Fuller 1-1, Jeter 0-2, Bright 0-3). Fouled Out_Poythress. Rebounds_Kentucky 37 (Cauley-Stein 8), Vanderbilt 42 (Moats 10). Assists_Kentucky 12 (Cauley-Stein, Harrow 4), Vanderbilt 9 (Johnson 6). Total Fouls_Kentucky 15, Vanderbilt 14. A_14,316.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
7 Responses to Kentucky blows lead, holds off Vanderbilt 60-58
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dang, my dog slept through it and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. A W is a W no matter what. I think Camp Cal is going to keep going to get a little harder. Do you see 5 AM practices?
Lucky for these kids they have class or they would be in Camp Cal 24/7
I don’t think even Camp Cal 24/7 can help Poythress and Wiltjer – Good grief are they both BAD!
Wiltjer is soooo slow, and has no defense. I love all the guys, but he has to improve
Kyle has major difficulty in getting his feet moving. He is always a step, sometimes two behind the guy he’s supposedly guarding.
Stalling did what he should have done early on, ie. go right at him. When they started doing that they prospered.
It was not a good effort by anyone with the exception of Cauly-Stein AND the kid who was formerly the target of the armchair “coaches”, Ryan Harrow.
It’s been debated ad nauseum but I do believe that that abortion called an arena at Vandy has a great deal to do with opponents play. Now THAT would be a great target for the “Let’s improve our facilities” crowd.
Am I the only one who felt like I was watching a Game in The Twilight Zone ! Ky, looked like a Pro team playing a College team in the first half…Bobby Knight, was complementing The Wildcats, like they were the second coming…Ky was winning big in Memorial Gym at Vandy,,,Coach Knight was even giving props and accolades to Coach Cal ! ” This Must Be An ” Alternate Universe “….Then came the second half. Ky plays flat footed, with heavy legs, Vandy’s Zone was effective due to lack of movement/screens and The Wildcats couldn’t hit an open shot ! Bad free throw shooting, should have cost us the Game, Vandy played that to their advantage…And yes, WE (Ky), won on a loopty doop bad call, ” BUT “, the Refs gave Vandy a ” Make Up Call “, with 6.7 seconds, when under Vandy’s Basket, Mays tried to secure the Ball and Vandy’s Fuller, knocked it out. Granted the bad call to the Wildcats resulted in 2 points and the bad call to Vandy only gave them possession, ‘ Not Points ” ! Wow, one of the strangest Games I can recall in a long Time…Camp Cal, back to running drills…Great (lucky) Win in spite of the Mojo, Wammy, unbelievable atmosphere. Does this mean Coach Bobby Knight Loves Kentucky, ” are you kidding Me ” ! Maybe Bobby Knight selling ALL his Indiana (IU), Championship Rings and Memorabilia cleansed Coach Knight of his Bias Against The Kentucky Wildcat. ” Not ” !
I could not have said it better. I think Cal is still trying to figure this team out and the lack of experience players is not helping the situation.
I think it is time for booby knightmare to hang it up, I felt sorry for Davis trying to explain the clock situation to him.