Kentucky hoped to ride a wave of momentum produced by a rousing 37-16 second-half rally against Notre Dame last weekend.
“That game gave us a lot of confidence and showed how we can play with a lot of energy and fight. …, Devin Askew had said. “We can fight and we can be that team Kentucky usually is.”
In the second half Saturday, a team showed that fight. Unfortunately for Kentucky, that team was North Carolina. The Tar Heels rode the edge after halftime to a 75-63 victory in the CBS Sports Classic in Cleveland.
“I thought before the game we were going to get this game,” UK Coach John Calipari said. “We had our chances. Let go of the rope. …
“I’m so disappointed, especially the last 10 minutes of the game.”
It was UK’s fifth straight loss, which was only the sixth time in program history that’s happened (and only the third time since the 1924-25 season).
The 1-5 record was only fourth time that’s happened in any Kentucky season … ever.
The Cats responded to Calipari’s call to rebound competitively with a North Carolina team that came into the game ranked eighth nationally in rebound margin (plus-15.5). Kentucky outrebounded UNC 41-37.
Of his order to “gang rebound,” Calipari said, “Our guards rebounded the crap out of the ball.”
But …
“Again some immaturity and stuff like that keeps creeping in,” the UK coach said.
North Carolina’s big men made the difference. As a result, foul trouble contributed to this Kentucky defeat. Olivier Sarr, Lance Ware, Isaiah Jackson and Terrence Clarke all fouled out.
With so many players having limited playing time, Kentucky went more than nine minutes without a basket in the second-half downward spiral.
“We just continue to make too many mental errors,” said Keion Brooks, the lone player with UK experience who has been sidelined by a calf injury. “They fought more than us, especially in the second half. In the first half, we … fought every possession. In the second half, our intensity and attention to detail kind of waned a little bit.”
Calipari suggested that his players were still too focused on their individual play and how it would be reflected in a box score.
Instead, he said, the players should concentrate on things “that don’t take talent and skill. We need to be great at those things. And we’re not.”
Davion Mintz led UK with 17 points and seven rebounds. Brandon Boston added 15 and Devin Askew 12. Sarr scored only two points and grabbed four rebounds.
No. 22 North Carolina (5-2) was led by Armando Bacot with 14 points.
Kentucky had led 38-34 at halftime.
UK met its presumed goals of reducing turnovers and not letting North Carolina reap a rebounding bonanza on the offensive backboard.
And Kentucky did it despite early foul trouble for its “bigs.” Jackson picked up two fouls before the first TV timeout. Ware had two before the second TV time and Sarr got his second before the third TV timeout.
In the half, North Carolina had only five second-chance points.
Earlier in the week, Calipari had emphasized rebounding as a key.
“You’re going to have to fight,” he said on Thursday. “You’re going to have to go body to body. … You better rebound. That means five guys. You better gang rebound because they do.”
As for turnovers, Kentucky had only six in first half. North Carolina had only two points off UK turnovers.
That’s because five of Kentucky’s six turnovers resulted in stoppages of play rather than transition opportunities for the Tar Heels. The six included two walks, one stepping on a sideline, one illegal screen and one charge.
Mintz helped Kentucky get off to a fast start. His three 3-pointers propelled UK to a 19-8 lead less than eight minutes into the game.
North Carolina rallied, twice taking two-point leads down the stretch.
Boston, who led UK with 12 points in the half, scored five in the final 90 seconds to help set the 38-34 lead at intermission.
Foul trouble complicated Kentucky’s second half. Jackson picked up his third foul 57 seconds after halftime.
Ware picked up his fourth with 12:51 left.
Sarr, the player Calipari has talked about revolving the offense around, picked up his fourth foul with 11:43 left.
Kentucky led by as much as six points early in the second half. The fouls on Ware and Sarr came during a 12-1 UNC run that put Kentucky behind for good at 54-49.
When asked about how the lack of positive reinforcement that comes with winning might affect Kentucky’s inexperienced players, Brooks was blunt.
“We’re not winning,” he said. “And we shouldn’t expect any positive reinforcement. … Five straight losses sucks. Quite frankly, how we’re playing, we don’t deserve to win.”
