KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ A good news-bad news storyline unfolded for Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region semifinals Friday night. The Cats defeated Houston, 62-58, but it was an adventure.
The good news involved PJ Washington's return to action. Washington, who hadn't played since spraining his left foot on March 16, played 26 minutes, which surely came as a surprise to UK coach John Calipari.
"If PJ plays more than 15, 18 minutes, I would be stunned, surprised," Calipari said on Thursday. "If he doesn't play at all, I would not be surprised."
Washington looked like his old self.
In the first half, his eight points helped Kentucky control the action.
But when it appeared Kentucky would breeze into Sunday's finals, the bad news took over.
With UK leading by 13 early in the second half, Houston rallied.
The Cougars steadily closed, finally taking a 51-49 lead on a driving layup by Corey Lewis. It came with 3:41 left and marked Houston's first lead since 13:07 remained in the first half.
That set up a gut-check for both teams down the stretch.
Many times in such situations, the ball went to Washington. It did again against Houston. His two free throws tied it at 51 with 37.5 seconds left. And with Houston ahead 58-55, his post-up score got UK within a point.
After Washington blocked Davis' driving shot, Tyler Herro made his last name a description. He hit a 3-pointer with 25.8 seconds left to give Kentucky the lead.
Herro's two free throws with 13.7 seconds left clinched it. He finished with a team-high 19 points.
Kentucky (30-6) will play in Sunday's Midwest Region championship game against Auburn, which beat No. 1 seed North Carolina, 97-80, in the first semifinal. The victory was costly. With 8:08, Chuma Okeke went down with an apparent knee injury. Even though he needed help to the locker room and did not return, Okeke led Auburn with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
"I think Chuma is our most valuable player," point guard Jared Harper said after the game. "He rebounds, get assists. He scores inside, outside. He can guard all five pockets. He's always in the right spot.
"But I think the good thing going forward is we have nine other people."
Houston, which was playing in its first Sweet 16 game since 1984, finished the season with a 33-4 record.
Kentucky controlled most of the first half. The Cats made 14 of 25 shots (56-percent accuracy) and 3 of 7 3-point shots against a Houston team that ranked first nationally in field-goal defense against all shots and shots from beyond the arc.
UK's good vibes included Washington's first action since spraining his left foot against Tennessee in the SEC tournament. He flashed his versatility in the first half, scoring on a traditional pull-up, a dunk when inexplicably left alone at the basket and a face-up shot from mid-range.
Kentucky also controlled the boards, outrebounding Houston 18-7. Houston's propensity to foul also helped the UK cause. The Cats shot the one-and-one with 9:56 left.
All the good news resulted in Kentucky holding a 37-26 halftime lead. That marked Houston's largest deficit of the season. The previous biggest deficits were 10 points against LSU and Utah State. The Cougars won both those games.
Kentucky scored the first basket of the second half to lead by 13.
Then the joyride hit a bump as Houston lived up to his reputation for aggressive play. And to borrow one of Calipari's pet phrases, Kentucky had to find a will to win.
