LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s victory over South Carolina on Saturday seemed as easy as one-two-three. And then add on four-five.
That’s how many 3-point shots Davion Mintz made in the first five minutes and eight seconds of the second half.
That display of marksmanship propelled Kentucky to a 92-64 victory over South Carolina in the final regular-season game of this slog of 2020-21. It was the second-most lopsided victory of the season for Kentucky. Only the 81-45 rout of Morehead State on opening night was by a bigger margin.
UK came into the game averaging 5.9 3-point baskets, which ranked 293rd in Division I.
While nearly matching that in fewer than six minutes, Mintz’s flurry also equaled as many 3s as Kentucky had made in 12 previous games (and surpassed the total in seven earlier games) this season.
Mintz finished with a career-high six 3s, one short a season high for a UK player (Dontaie Allen’s seven at Mississippi State). But his memorable 20-point afternoon wasn’t a solo act. Brandon Boston made a career-high six 3-point baskets and scored a career-high 21 points.
Cam’Ron Fletcher came into the game late in the second half. It was his second appearance in the last 18 games. He scored on a dunk (his first points since scoring four against Richmond in the second game of the season).
Lance Ware scored his first points since the Feb. 2 game at Missouri.
Overall, Kentucky made 13 of 27 shots from beyond the arc in improving its record to 9-15 (8-9 in the Southeastern Conference).
South Carolina, which came into the game ranked among the bottom four teams in 11 of the 21 statistical categories compiled by the SEC, lived down to those numbers. The Gamecocks, who have been hit hard by the coronavirus, fell to 6-14 overall and 4-12 in the SEC.
Calipari had billed the game as a chance to set his team on a path going into the postseason. That path was more than a shooting gallery.
Defense carried Kentucky to a 36-28 halftime lead. South Carolina scored only three field goals in the final 9:50 of the first half, and only two in the final 8:03.
During that time, Kentucky outscored South Carolina 16-6.
Kentucky came out hot. The Cats made five of their first six shots with Boston leading the way with 3-for-3 shooting.
The inevitable cooling off was frigid. UK made six of its next 23 shots.
That helped South Carolina erase UK’s early 12-4 lead. Apparently having watched Ole Miss bully Kentucky earlier in the week, the Gamecocks got the best of the rebounding. Twice, South Carolina players ripped the ball from a UK player.
The final minutes of the first half belonged to Kentucky. South Carolina made only three of its final 12 shots. UK ended up with a 19-18 rebounding advantage.
One caveat: Olivier Sarr picked up his second and third fouls late in the first half. Both came on the offensive end: an illegal screen with 2:01 left and a charge 33 seconds later.
A 36-28 halftime deficit might have looked insurmountable to South Carolina. The Gamecocks had won only one of 12 previous games this season in which they trailed at halftime.
Mintz saw to it that it would be one victory in 13 such games. His first 3-pointer came with 18:15 left. Barely three minutes later, he had made four more. The final one in the one-man blitz — with the anticipation of the crowd ease to hear — put Kentucky ahead 55-36 with 14:52 left.
Another possession-by-possession test down the stretch seemed unlikely.
