LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Kentucky's newly-minted "player-driven team" did not miss the ramp to Victory City on Tuesday night. The Cats defeated Georgia, 89-79, to improve to 14-4 overall and 5-1 in the Southeastern Conference.
Coach John Calipari had recently called for UK to expand on leads in order to avoid anything-can-happen, possession-by-possession struggles down the stretch of games.
That did not happen in the first half. UK started fast and built a 10-point lead (18-8) inside the first eight minutes.
Then Georgia chipped away and took its first lead, 29-28, with 5:33 left.
Perhaps practice made, if not perfect, then at least better. Up six at halftime, UK built a 14-point lead with 3:30 left in the second half. Georgia got as close as 87-79 in the final minute.
Ashton Hagans led UK with 23 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals. Nick Richards added 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. The Cats outscored Georgia 28-14 in the paint in the second half.
Anthony Edwards came into the game with the highest scoring average (19.1 per game) of any freshman in Division I. He went scoreless in the first half, missing five shots, including two from 3-point range.
Although UK assistant coach Tony Barbee said it would not be wise keep to the same defender on Edwards, Immanuel Quickley had the assignment in the opening 20 minutes. Edwards did rebound to score 16 points in the second half.
EJ Montgomery scored double-digit points (10) for the first time since he had 25 points against Fairleigh Dickinson. He had totaled 36 points in the nine subsequent games leading to round two against Georgia. He had two points in 21 minutes in the game at Athens two weeks earlier.
