NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ Fans of basketball grit and overcoming obstacles got their fill during Kentucky's 87-81 victory at Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.
Neither team led by double digits in a slog of a game that contained 43 fouls and 56 free throws.
This battle of attrition contrasted sharply with UK's first three Southeastern Conference games, which the Cats won by an average of 30.4 points.
The Cats, who improved to 14-2 overall and 4-0 in the SEC, had the added burden of foul trouble. Leading scorer Malik Monk got in early foul trouble and never got into a comfortable rhythm. He scored 18 points.
Backcourt mate and fellow freshman De'Aaron Fox also got in early foul trouble. He came alive in the second half, when he scored 16 of his 22 points.
But the player who led Kentucky to victory fit the circumstances. Isaiah Briscoe, Mr. Hale and Hearty, steadied the Cats in this turbulent game.
Briscoe scored a career-high 23 points and was a court presence from start to finish.
Teammate Dominique Hawkins all but predicted a big game for Briscoe. He said the sophomore guard would give Kentucky the leadership it needed in Vandy's quirky Memorial Gymnasium.
"Isaiah's IQ is unbelievable," Hawkins said. "He's been a great leader for us."
Briscoe, who struggled shooting free throws as a freshman, actually came into the game among the SEC's leaders in free-throw accuracy. His 86.7 percent foul shooting (13-of-15) ranked seventh best.
Briscoe was also tied with Fox for the league lead in assists: 6.3 per game. He had a team-high seven against Vandy.
Bam Adebayo chipped in 14 points for the Wildcats.
It was known almost immediately that Kentucky would need its depth. Monk and Fox, the Cats' start freshman guards and the team's top two scorers, each picked up two fouls before the first television timeout.
The anticipation of another _ ho-hum _ blowout victory against a helpless SEC opponent seemed in the offing. Kentucky scored the game's first nine points. Vandy hadn't made a shot.
But with Monk and Fox on the bench, the game changed. Vandy outscored UK 17-6 to take a 17-15 lead.
Briscoe and Adebayo steadied the Cats.
Adebayo overpowered Vanderbilt inside. He led all scorers in the first half with 13 points. Plus, he put Vandy's frontcourt in foul trouble. Luke Kornet picked up two fouls. His backup at center, redshirt freshman Djery Baptiste, picked up four fouls.
Briscoe scored 10 points in the first half. The final two were telling. With the clock inside 15 seconds, Matthew Fisher-Davis left his man and pulled sophomore Joe Toye away from Briscoe.
The message was clear: Let Briscoe shoot from the perimeter, but try to prevent a drive.
Toye failed as Briscoe drove to a layup to set UK's 45-41 halftime lead.
Kentucky had its own mental lapses. Vandy inbounded the ball with only four seconds on the shot clock. Adebayo inexplicably fouled Fisher-Davis, who made both free throws.
Late in the half, Derek Willis fouled Fisher-Davis on a 3-point shot.
Despite the fouls and lapses, Kentucky led going into the second half.
Vandy was the team that had to overcome foul trouble in the second half. Payton Willis, the Commodores' freshman point guard, picked up his third and fourth fouls in the first 19 seconds and went to the bench.
Kornet was whistled for his fourth foul at the 16:43 mark.
When Nolan Cressler twice missed contested shots in the lane and no foul was called, Vandy coach Bryce Drew called time. He came to near half-court to protest the non-calls.
UK led 57-53 with 15:37 left.
